


Matters of Heaven and Space

by words_reign_here



Category: Doctor Who, Supernatural
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-10
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 01:43:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/755541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_reign_here/pseuds/words_reign_here
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Winchester boys stumble upon the Ponds and the Doctor during a vampire hunt. The Doctor is displeased with their methods and Castiel might fall in love with the TARDIS. Just a little bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Matter of Choice and Reckoning

**Author's Note:**

> So, first try at some SuperWho. I enjoyed writing it. This is unbeta'd, so any mistakes are mine.

Just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dean ran to an abandoned warehouse with his brother hot on his heels. It sounded like they had gotten here just in time if the shouting in the building was any kind of indication. It was nearing sunset which meant that the vampire nest was going to be waking up. As they neared the door, Dean paused to check the salt rounds in his gun. Sam shouldered his cross bow. A quick look, a quirked eye brow and they nodded at each.

Dean reached forward to check the door. Locked, as he figured. He paused. _If it was locked, how did the people inside get in? The vampires had just woken._

Sam and Dean exchanged another, longer look.

“I wish Cas were here.” Sam muttered.

A heavy hand dropped on Dean’s shoulder and he turned to shoot. Cas stopped him just in time with a finger to his lips.

“Damn it, Cas! I could have shot you!”

Cas shrugged. “No matter. Salt does not harm this vessel, Dean.”

“I know that! But- Look, never mind. There are people in there but the door is locked. Could you help us out?”

Cas nodded and stepped towards the door. Sam shouldered the weapon once more and Dean aimed his gun at the door. With a soft _snick_ , the door opened underneath Castiel’s hands and he walked through nonchalantly. Of course, it was nothing to an angel of the Lord, but Dean still felt his heart thump strangely watching him walk through without a second thought.

Inside, it was dark. The three stood shoulder to shoulder.

“A nest. A rather large one. Sixteen. No, seventeen.” Cas tilted his head to the ceiling. “Two humans and a… being.”

“Being?” Sam asked. “Another angel? Demon?”

“I do not know, Sam. I have not encountered a soul like his before. It almost burns.” Castiel shivered. “It burns cold.”

“Lucifer?” Sam guessed again.

“No. Not that cold. It burns and it… He rages. He?” Castiel seemed to be questioning himself. “Matters not. Let us help them and be gone from this place. It is tampering with my grace.”

They started in deeper, the dark pressing in from all sides. The only thing that held it at bay was the flashlight that Cas was holding. Suddenly, a scream that held them in from all sides. Definitely human, definitely scared and they all took off in the same direction. They ran into three other individuals, a red headed woman, a blonde man and a slightly darker hair man.

“Oh! Lovely, a torch! I love a torch!” The dark haired man said, snatching it out of Castiel’s hands. Another appeared instantly in Cas’ hands but not before a small frown appeared in between his eyebrows at the man.

“Excuse me, but if I may?” The blonde man asked, gesturing to the flashlight. Cas handed it over, much more amiable with the other man’s manners. He pulled another into existence and handed it over to the woman before she could even ask. Her hands were elegant and reminded Dean of Cas’. As though he heard what he was thinking, Cas looked at him.

“Nothing, never mind.” Dean muttered.

“What?” The man asked, with the dark hair.

“Nothing!” Dean exclaimed again, Sam turning to look at him now. “You will find the way out just behind us. Straight through the door.”

“Right then. Come along, Ponds!” The man rushed away, and then skittered back. “I’m sorry. Will you be quite all right here?”

“Yes, we’ll be fine, English. Now, get.” Dean said, gesturing with his gun towards the door. The man stopped, wary. He had just caught sight of the gun and crossbow.

“No. I think we’ll stay.” The man said slowly.

Sam sighed heavily. He lowered his crossbow and looked at them all. “Really, we do this all the time-“

“Dean.” Cas said quietly.

“-And we do not take civilians along for the ride-“

“Dean.” Cas said again. Dean raised his gun, pointing into the darkness. He could hear it too. A soft shuffle in front of them where their flashlight beam began to fail.

“Oi! Who are you calling civilians?!” The red head exclaimed, defiance flashing in her eyes.

“Dean! Get down!” Cas said, just as a large man slammed into him. It was too late and the man was in his face, teeth flashing, eyes silvered and Dean’s gun knocked from his hand. Dean watched as the man lowered his mouth to Dean’s neck and could only hear his own thoughts: _Please, Cas. Don’t let Sam see. Please Cas._

And then Dean could breathe, his knees hit the ground and the blinding light above him indicated that Cas had taken care of the problem. He felt Cas’ hand underneath his bicep, lifting him to his feet.

“Did it-“ Cas asked, his hands searching Dean’s neck. It felt like the night before.

“No. Is there blood? Did he nick me?” Dean held on to Cas’ wrists, eyes wide.

“I see nothing. Hold on, let me…” Cas placed his hands at Dean’s neck, where the man had lowered his face to. There was nothing there, just the warmth of his hands. “Yes, Dean. You are fine.”

“Let’s go finish this.” Sam muttered.

“Now, wait. Hold on just –“ The man said, leaping in front of them.

“Who _are_ you?” Dean exploded, having enough of the man in the funny coat and bow tie. The man and the woman behind him exchanged a look. The man heaved a great, heavy sigh like the question was the bane of his existence. The woman merely smirked.

“I am the Doctor.” He said smugly, adjusting his bow tie.

“Great. Sam Winchester,” He said, gesturing to his brother, “That’s Cas. Castiel, angel of the Lord.” Cas raised his eyebrows, still close at Dean’s side. “And I’m Dean Winchester. Now, if you would like to continue the meet and greet, we will be happy to do so after we have killed those sons of bitches inside. Sam, Cas, let’s go.”

“The Doctor’s not gonna go for this.” The woman said softly to the man at her side. He sighed once more and spread his hands in a somewhat helpless gesture.

“And we will probably be dragged along.” He replied.

“Well, the TARDIS is in there. We do eventually have to go back.” She said.

Dean looked back at them and stepped forward. “Cas, light.” He said.

“Now, why are there guns?” The Doctor asked, walking as close to Dean as Castiel did, crowding him.

“Because. They are demons. The bullets are loaded with salt to slow them down so Cas can exorcise them or Sam can kill them.” Dean muttered.

“Hmmmm…” The Doctor said, tapping something long and cylindrical against his chin. “Have you tried to negotiate with them?”

“They are vampires. Negotiations stopped when they killed twin girls, age five, two days ago. And the day before that, a young girl had her throat torn out. A week before that, a young mother was killed in her kitchen while her baby sat in the high chair.”

“The husband found her like that.” Sam said, his eyes hard.

“They are not aware of the twenty seven other victims across the states of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado.” Castiel inserted.

“So, no. We do not negotiate.” Dean said. Cas stopped, as did Dean. The Doctor ran into them, pushing Dean slightly. He glanced over his shoulder in irritation.

And then they were attacked from all sides. Sam grabbed the other man’s shoulder and Castiel pulled the red head behind them. They made a circle with them in the middle.

“Doc, get behind us.” Dean said.

“I will not. You’ll be lucky to keep Amy behind you.” The man said stiffly adjusting his bow tie again.

A flash of silver eyes and a teenage boy stepped in front of them. “You killed my bodyguard.” He accused.

“I didn’t want to be part of the club.” Dean shrugged.

The boy looked at him for a long time. “But you were once, weren’t you? Part of our little _club_.”

“I like my own better.” Dean said. “There are a lot of advantages to being human.”

“One, we don’t kill innocent people for brunch.” Sam threw in.

The teenager shrugged. “There are so many of you now. Seven billion. Who’s going to miss an unimportant woman? Or child, for that matter?”

“They are all important!” Castiel yelled, and Dean could feel the ground tremble.

“Dial it back a notch, Cas.” Dean said. “But Cas here is right. Every single person is important. All of them. I don’t care who the fuck they are, were or going to be. To someone they were important.” Dean raised his gun. “And you and your sick little fan club are going to pay for each and every one of them.”

“If I may, gentlemen,” The Doctor said. He stepped over to the boy, towering over him. He pulled out the cylindrical piece of metal he had been toying with earlier and ran it up and down the boy. “You don’t necessarily need _human_ blood to survive. Why not start there? I’m sure these boys would be willing to set down their weapons-“

“First, Cas is not a boy. Second, you do not speak for us. Third, no we are not willing to set down our weapons. Thanks, Doc.” Sam said. Sometimes, his bitch face was epic. This was one of those times.

“Oh, come now!” The Doctor started, turning his back to the boy. At the same instance, Dean raised his gun to the Doctor and pulled a shot.

“All right. Me and him, difference of opinion but you will _not_ be biting him either.” Dean said. The teenage demon stumbled back, a hand to his head.

“That burns!” He cried out.

“But you- you shot him. In. The. Head.” Amy cried out.

“He’s a vampire, sweetheart. Fire or beheading is his only way out.” Dean said.

The Doctor scurried back to the safety of Dean, Sam and Cas. He raised a finger to the teenager. “That was terribly rude of you.”

The demon rolled his eyes and disappeared.

“Sam, up!” Dean ordered. Sam aimed towards the ceiling, while Dean took the perimeter. “Cas, you see anything?”

“They are here, Dean. That is all I know. Unless they are within our sight distances… This place is not conducive to my grace.”

“All right. Let’s do this quickly. Amy, can you shoot?” Dean asked. “And you, hey sorry man, didn’t get a name.”

“Rory.”

“Right. Can you two shoot?” Dean asked.

“It’s a useful skill we picked up, hanging out with the Doctor.” Amy replied.

“All right. My back, there is a gun. Same with Sam. Grab em. They won’t kill the vampires, but they sure as shit will hurt them. Go ahead.” He felt warm hands on his back and shifted when the weight of the gun disappeared. “Cas, go block the entrances. You got the stuff you need?”

“Yes, Dean.” Cas replied and disappeared.

“Sam, let’s start on the Devil’s Trap. I’ll guard.”

“Where?” Sam asked.

“Middle of the floor. Right here is as good a spot as any.”

Sam set down his crossbow and began shifting through his bag.

“Who are you people?” Rory asked, shifting next to the red head.

“Hunters. We, uh, hunt.” Dean said.

“What do you hunt, exactly?” The Doctor asked, while he peered over Sam’s shoulder as he worked.

“Whatever is out there that is dark and scary and killing people.” Dean muttered. “Angry ghosts, vampires, wendigos, revenants, zombies a couple times, demons, Lucifer once, leviathans, you name it, we have probably come across it.”  

“Lucifer?” Rory asked. “Like, _the_ Lucifer?”

“The one and only.” Sam muttered. “We don’t talk about it.”

Silence reigned. Then Cas reappeared by Dean’s side. “I will take over from here now, Sam.”

Sam handed the can of paint over to Cas and picked up his crossbow. “They are awfully quiet, Dean.”

Dean nodded. “Noticed. Let’s not press our luck.” Glancing over at the newcomers, the Doctor now hovering over Castiel’s shoulder, he asked, “How did you get in here?”

“The TARDIS.” The Doctor replied.

“And I’m sorry, Doctor who?” Sam asked. The Doctor straightened up and glanced at Amy. She smiled.

“I didn’t catch that. What did you say?” The man asked, even though Dean was pretty sure he had heard Sam.

“Doctor who? What’s the rest of your name?” Sam asked.

The Doctor smiled but it held behind a little bit of sadness. Dean knew what that was. Dean could understand that. “It’s just the Doctor.”

“Well, Doctor, how did you get in here?” Sam asked.

“Told you, the TARDIS. It’s my time machine. Well, it’s my time and space ship. Time space ship? Yes, well, she’s home and she flew us here. We were supposed to be in Mexico but… Close enough, I suppose. New versus old.” He grinned at Rory now who shook his head.

There were only the sounds of Cas finishing the Devils Trap and the Doctor asking questions that would have tried anyone else’s patience. Every now and again the Doctor would exclaim, “Oh, but that’s brilliant, Castiel-Angel-of-the-Lord!”

“You can call me Castiel.” He said finally, straightening up.

“Done?” Dean asked.

“Almost.” Cas answered, now lining the trap with lighter fluid. Dean decided the Doctor was right. His angel was brilliant.

“All right. Now, let’s get Amy, Rory and the Doctor outside and then we continue with the plan.”

Sam and Cas nodded. Amy began to feel that not only had this been dozens of times but also with a military precision that their small group was throwing off. Sam smiled apologetically at her. “We aren’t used to having hostages in our midst. Let’s get you to safety.”

But before they could even attempt a move towards the door, a dozen demons appeared in front of them.

“Shit.” Dean said. This was not going as planned. When did it? Sam took down two as fast as he could but then had to reload. As though they had been born into it, Rory and Amy stepped in front of him and began aiming. They weren’t too bad either. Sam got his cross bow reloaded and the Doctor seemed to be having some trouble. He seemed to be doing a strange dance between Amy and Rory and Castiel.

“Doc! Stop! You’re going to get hurt! Just… get some holy water! Here!” Dean asked, throwing a flask at him in between shots.

“Do I drink it?” The Doctor asked, looking at the flask.

“No! Throw some on them if they get too close!”

“Oh! Right then!”

Dean reloaded and glanced over at Sam and Amy and Rory. They made a good machine. They were keeping most of the vampires at bay, but letting one or two by for Cas. Cas, in the meantime, was busy exorcising as many as he could get his hands on. For a moment, Dean worried about him exhausting his angel batteries but one look at Cas, he knew he would be ok. He was practically _glowing_ with all the power that had been infused in him.

Damn, his angel was beautiful.

“Rory, I need cover!” Dean shouted and the smaller man came and took over for a moment while Dean reloaded.

“Dean, I’m running low here.” Sam muttered. “Amy has my back up.”

“Cas can’t take them all, not by himse-“

“Dean!” Cas cried out. Dean turned just in time to see Cas get thrown to the ground by five vampires, too much for any angel.

“No!” Dean cried, leaving Rory’s side. Sam turned and left Amy as well. Dean aimed a well-placed kick at one of the vampire’s sides and another at the other vampire’s head. Cas managed to get his hands on the vampire on his stomach and Sam placed an almighty punch to another angel. Out of nowhere, Amy and Rory were there, bashing the last vampire around the head and shoulders. It swung away, only to end up crouched around Amy’s shoulders, twisting that beautiful red hair around a fist and pulling her hair back, exposing the line of her pale throat.

“Amy!” The Doctor and Rory screamed. And it was ripped out of their throats like a gash welling from within.

“Cas! Hold them!” And Cas had the Doctor and Rory was trying to crawl over Sam’s massive self.

“Give us the angel and we’ll give you the Scottish one.” The vampire said. He was average, looking a little sad and a little lost as to why he had ended up here.

“We aren’t giving you anything.” Dean replied, unloading his gun and loading it back in one by one. Amy flinched at each little click. “But you will give us that girl back. It seems like the Doctor is the wrong man to make an enemy out of. Amy, trust me.” He instructed. Amy closed her eyes and nodded. Rory screamed from behind Sam.

“Do you know how many times I’ve been here, demon?” Dean asked. “They’ve had my brother, my father and even my angel once. And I told them all the same thing before I killed them slowly. I told them no. And I am telling you no.” Dean cocked the gun and aimed it at the vampire, “I will give you this one chance to let her go.”

“No.” The pathetic vampire said and tightened his hold on Amy. She gasped. A tear slipped down her cheek.

“Dean, please.” Rory whimpered. “Dean, that’s my wife.”

Those were the magical words, Sam knew. Dean knew about love and loss. Hell, he would move heaven and hell if they took his angel from him. He saw the resolve in Dean’s eyes and redrawn focus. Sam wondered for a moment if he saw Cas in that same predicament.

Dean’s aim was steady and he made it look easy, just like he always did. The bullets he had reloaded into his gun were washed in holy water and had a crucifix embedded into them. It was like shoving a cross down their throat. A few of the myths held true, thank God.

Amy was free and Rory was there, running his hands through her hair and down her throat. “Are you ok? You’re ok? Right?”

“Can we run now?” She asked. Rory gripped her hand and looked back at the rest of their group.

“I don’t have a better plan.” Dean reasoned. Sam was already shoving all their things into the duffel and slinging it over his shoulder.

“There are too many the way we came.” Cas said, looking into the dark. Dean could see the occasional glint of silver. “Twenty three. We need to exit the other way.”

Rory shoved Amy’s flashlight at Sam who took the lead. The Doctor, Amy and Rory fell in behind Sam and Dean and Cas fell behind.

“Can we make it to your spaceship?” Sam asked.

“It’s possible,” The Doctor muttered. “I think it was this way.”

“We got lost. Vampires chasing us, you know.” Rory said.

“Can I have a gun?” Amy asked.

Sam handed her his gun and pulled the crossbow from his shoulder.

There were no more attacks and after much debate, the Doctor finally found his spaceship. Dean, Sam and Cas stopped in front of it.

“I’m sorry, Doc, but I expected something… bigger?” Dean said.

“I can’t fit in there.” Sam said, glancing from the bottom to the top and taking in the dimensions. Dean looked over at Cas.

Cas tilted his head at the blue box, regarding it from the bottom to the top, much like Sam. However, he didn’t have his usual confused expression. Instead, he looked like he had gotten a good hit off some strong weed. He stepped forward and laid his hands on the box and then his forehead. He inhaled deeply and shook when he exhaled. The blue box responded in kind, starting to glow.

“Doctor…” He said softly. The Doctor was there in a second with his metal thing, scanning Castiel up and down and reading it. “Doctor, she’s so beautiful.”

“You can talk with her later, Castiel-Angel-of-the-Lord. Let’s get inside.” The Doctor snapped his fingers, the doors fell open and Cas walked in. Dean opened his mouth to tell him to be careful but it never came out. Because the Doctor followed Cas and then Amy skipped in, followed by Rory. There was no way they could have all fit. It just wasn’t physically possible.

Sam shrugged but walked in, ducking as he did so. Dean was not far behind, loathe to be the last left in the dark with at least twenty angry vampires.

And kept walking. There was room here. It was all blue and green and gold and soft, somehow. Dean stumbled and Sam grabbed his arm. It was ginormous in here. Amy, Rory and the Doctor all gathered around a central console, consulting one another over the controls. Cas had one hand pressed to a wall, his face concentrating on something.

“How are we- How is this-“ Sam started. The Doctor looked up, a grin on his face. “But, it’s- I mean, right? It is, isn’t it? I’m not asleep, am I?”

“It’s another dimension. It’s like slipping something large where it doesn’t belong, so you make room for it.” Dean said.

Everyone stopped and looked at him. Even Rory and Amy.

“You are greatly underestimated, Dean Winchester.” The Doctor pointed a finger at him, a smile on his face.

“No he’s not.” Cas said from the other side of the room.

Dean could feel the blush start somewhere in his knees. Amy grinned. Sam rolled his eyes. The Doctor smiled as well, glancing from Dean to Cas. “Visitors! I so rarely get visitors. Companions, like Rory and Amy here, yes! But rarely visitors. When was the last time you had a vacation, Sam Winchester? Where would you like to go? All of time and space, it’s your choice.”

“Oh, he loves this bit.” Rory said, leaning against the console.

“Doesn’t he though?” Amy said. She winced and brought a hand to her throat. The bruises were already showing up. They would be angry and black in a few hours. Rory fussed over her and offered to get her some ice.

“Would you like me to fix that?” Cas asked, suddenly behind Rory. Rory jumped and hit Cas in the face. He barely blinked.

“You can?” Rory asked.

Cas nodded gravely and raised two fingers to Amy’s forehead. In a blink, the bruises were gone.

“Wow.” Amy muttered. Even her headache was gone.

Sam circled the center console, running his hands over the buttons and other various devices. At the screen, he saw his face pop up. It seemed to work on touch so he scrolled down, only to see Dean’s face. It was everything about their lives, starting at birth and marking every major achievement.

“Doctor, have you been stalking us?” Sam asked.

“You have unbelievable power locked up in there.” The Doctor said to Cas, scanning him once again. Cas frowned at him as though he had already explained this to him. “No, Sam. I have not. But the TARDIS keeps meticulous records of people who have a hand in the dealings of Earth. And you and your brother have had a great deal to do in the dealings of Earth, have you not?”

Sam shrugged and continued scrolling.

“Tea, anyone?” Amy asked suddenly, brightening. Everyone but Dean agreed but Dean shook his head. “I could get you some coffee, if you prefer.” Amy said.

At that, Dean offered a small smile. “That would be great, Amy.” She left the room quickly and Rory regarded Dean for a moment before walking over to him.

“You have a great team.” He said.

“Thanks.” Dean muttered. His head was starting to pound. He couldn’t get the crime scene photos out of his head. He couldn’t forget the baby in the high chair; the little girls lying in their bedrooms.

“You all right? You don’t look so good.” Rory asked softly. The Doctor and Sam were exclaiming over the console and Cas had wandered after Amy.

“We need to go back. Finish the job.”

Rory’s face tightened and nodded. “You’re right. The Doctor will want to come with you, of course.”

“Doc doesn’t seem like the type to go on a hunt.”

“You would be surprised. Amy was kidnapped from us once. She was pregnant.” Rory looked at the ground. “They had the baby and Amy. The Doctor blew up hundreds of space ships. He killed anyone or anything that got in our way.”

“It was personal. For Sam or Cas, I would do the same.” Dean frowned. “But we get poltergeists and vampires. Not aliens.”

“Oh, don’t worry. With us, you’ll get a serving of both, I’m sure!” The Doctor said.

“Doctor.” Cas said. He was all serious business and frowny face. Dean had the urge to kiss away the lines between his forehead. Cas redirected that frown at Dean when he caught wind of that. Dean smiled and shrugged.

The Doctor spun to Cas and back around to Dean. Then back once more. And one more time.

“Are you two able to communicate?” The Doctor asked.

“Yes, and it’s disgusting.” Sam said. “Like having a room next to them isn’t enough. I have to put up with their stares.”

“Dean encourages me to be verbal.” The Doctor looked confused while Rory, Sam, Dean and Amy, upon entering the room, groaned.

“Lady and gentlemen, I would like to introduce my boyfriend, Castiel. He likes to share.” Dean muttered.

Cas frowned at him again and then picked up where he had left off. “Doctor, there is a swimming pool in the library.”

“Yes! Isn’t it delightful?” The Doctor said gleefully.

“You meant to do that?” Cas asked. “There are ancient and rare texts in your possession that are quite delicate.”

“Oh, the TARDIS takes care of it. She’s excellent that way.” The Doctor said knowingly, patting the console. This seemed to mollify Cas and he leaned against the wall next to Dean.

“When will we go back?” Cas asked, leaning against Dean slightly. Dean’s headache receded.

“As soon as the Doc can take care of it. I can’t have anyone else dying because Sammy wanted to go see the stars.”

“We can go see the stars later, can’t we?” Cas asked, lowering his eyes to the floor of the TARDIS. It wasn’t just Sam who had been seduced by star travel.

“Yeah, of course, babe. Let’s just finish the job and if the Doc still wants us to tag along, I’m game.” Dean said. He felt a surge of warmth from Castiel. His grace was growing at radical levels. Sometimes he didn’t even have to touch Dean to make the minor aches and pains of hunting go away.

“Back to Earth, then!” The Doctor cried out. It was only then that they realized they had been the center of the conversation. The Doctor began to madly flip switches, and suddenly Dean was thrown off center, landing on his side.

“Are we flying?!” He cried out.

“We’ve been flying for the entire time.” Amy said, carefully balancing her tea and closing a hand around her tea cup to prevent it from spilling. Sam grabbed on to a center bar and Rory leaned against a wall. Castiel looked at Dean puzzled once again at his human.

“Did you not know, Dean?”

“How did-When- Cas!” He wailed, as he was thrown off again and landed against a wall.

“Dean, we’ve landed.” Cas said calmly, watching Dean out of the corner of his eye. Dean panted and ran for the door. Just a few yards away was the Impala.

“Baby! I’m so glad to see you.” Dean cried out, leaning into the car.

“Did he just call his car Baby?” Rory asked.

“The Doctor calls the TARDIS Sexy. Who are we to judge?” Amy said casually.

Dean continued to hug the car.

 

 

 

Several hours later and gallons dirty vampire blood later, the warehouse was cleaned out. The Doctor refused to participate and was soon involved in a very heated discussion with Dean about what they could do with the vampires. They had finally decided that if any were willing to surrender, they would be taken to the Byzantium and locked away for the rest of eternity.

Unfortunately, there were none that wished to surrender. Everyone was questioned rigorously, but they all concurred. When offered death or eternal imprisonment, the vampires had chosen death easily.

The Doctor was not pleased. Even Dean took a step back at that look. Cas seemed impervious, staring at the TARDIS once more. Then, looking down, Cas cleaned himself of the blood and did the same for Sam and Dean. He approached the Doctor cautiously.

“Doctor, I hate that we have to do this.” Castiel started slowly. He seemed unsure of himself and was carefully picking his words. “I hate that we have to destroy them but unfortunately, Sam and Dean are right in this instance. My Father created them, initially. Both the human and demon side. And when my brother fell and took others with him, it hurt all of us. We loved them as you love your companions. Some, as Rory loves Amy and as I love Dean. They were our brothers and sisters. But, as warriors of heaven, we cannot let them destroy the innocent of my Father’s creation. It is… obscene, at best. We, the angels, were created to guard, to worship and to fight when we have to. This was an instance of having no other choice.”

“There is always a choice, Castiel!” The Doctor roared. He leaned against the Impala and gripped the open window hard. Dean opened his mouth to say something but Cas closed that down with a sharp look.

“Sometimes vampires can be good. They can be the best of their kind. They can live without killing, you are correct. But these vampires did not make that choice. They made a choice to kill and live off the lives of small children.” Cas got closer to the Doctor who swung around to face him. They were nose to nose. Dean knew the power of that stare. “Please, let me show you.”

Cas raised his hand to the Doctor’s forehead and then there was silence.

“Dean, what’s he doing?” Amy asked.

“He’s showing the Doctor the victims, I think.”

“I wouldn’t put it pass Castiel to show him bits of their lives as well.” Sam said.

Dean nodded. Castiel could amplify some guilt.

Several minutes later, the Doctor gasped. “No more. Please. Just stop.”

“There are some people who do not deserve imprisonment, Doctor.” Castiel said, stepping back. He nodded to the boys and Sam swung the bag into the trunk. Dean pulled the keys from his pocket and Castiel smiled at Amy and Rory. “It was very nice to meet you both.”

Amy and Rory smiled although it was strained on both parts. The Doctor still had his hand on Baby and was leaning forward slightly, trying to catch his breath. Dean stepped around him and squeezed his shoulder.

“We’ll be seeing you, Doc.”

“Dean?” The Doctor asked. “Didn’t you want to see the stars?”  


	2. Seduced by Star Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy learns about the Winchester story, Castiel and Dean get a vacation and the Doctor is scared of rollercoasters. Sacrifices are made and other players are drawn into a game only the Doctor knows the rules of.  
> Continued directly after the last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was asked to continue the story from previously, and here it is. Any mistakes are mine and comments are welcome. I hope you enjoy the show, folks!

Dean stopped, his hand on the door. “Really, Doc?” He asked.

The Doctor looked startled. “Dean Winchester. You’ve lived through so much. Let’s have an adventure together, what do you say?”

Dean blinked at the Doctor and let the words settle against him. He could feel Sam’s eyes on his shoulders and Cas’ reassuring presence right behind him.

“You aren’t mad?” Dean asked. He knew he sounded like a little boy but this man felt like something bigger than he was. Older, wiser for sure.

“Mad? Dean, if there is one thing you should know and remember and keep as close as your brother and angel it is this: I am very mad.” Leaning back, he steadied himself on his heels. “Am I upset with you? No. Castiel has illuminated me to a different mindset. It had to be done.” He clapped his hands. “Let’s be off, Ponds and Winchesters!”

Once more, the Doctor snapped his fingers and the doors to the TARDIS opened. Without looking behind him, he slipped something into Dean’s hand. “Hang that around the rear view mirror. No one will be able to see or touch your Baby.”

It was small and round and slightly warm to the touch. “What is it?”

“Perception filter. Makes humans think there is nothing there. Also makes them avoid it like the bloody plague. Works wonders. How else do you think we can park a big blue box anywhere?” Amy responded. She hooked her arm through Rory’s and headed off to the TARDIS once more. Sam looked at Dean once more before he took off running for the doors as well. Cas squeezed Dean’s hand and headed in as well.

“Come, Dean. Adventure waits for no man.”

“Uh, Doctor, before we head out into the great wild beyond the stars,” He gestured to the sky. “Can you tell me that it’s going to be ok? Am I going to be fighting things out there too?”

“Ooh! ‘The great wild beyond the stars.’ I quite like that, Dean. You have a bit of writer in you.”

“Doctor.” He scolded gently. He reached in and hooked the perception filter around Baby’s rearview mirror. “They are the only family I have left. And I don’t know how to be prepared for whatever-“

“Or whenever!” The Doctor said.

“You might take us.” Dean finished.

The Doctor paused, the smile fading from his face. He looked out at the setting sun, its light bleeding into the desert in that singular way it had; gold into red, red into purple. “You’ve lost people. Not only to death but to life as well. I can see it in you. As I’m sure you can see my own loss. I cannot guarantee you that Sam and Castiel-Angel-of-The-Lord will come back unchanged. In fact, I can guarantee you the opposite. The same goes for you. Humans were meant to change and grow and learn. Will it hurt?” The Doctor looked out at the desert landscape, beautiful and lonely all at once. “Probably. But, all good things do.”

“Doctor, Cas said that you-“

The Doctor’s eyes were on him once again. And Dean saw it then. He saw how he burned cold and raged.

“What did Castiel say?”

“He said that you burned cold. And that you- that you raged.”

The Doctor sighed and suddenly he looked so old. So very old. “I have suffered Dean. And yes, I do rage. Because sometimes the universe gives you something only to take it away.”

They were silent as they walked to the TARDIS.

 

~~~~

“Sam. The choice is yours. Where would you like to go?” The Doctor asked, studying the map of the stars. Dean was too busy staving off panic in a small corner of his own, tucked between Cas and a pillar to make any contribution to the conversation. Cas was amiable to anything and Rory and Amy were quietly talking in the corner.

“Amy? Rory? Do you care where we go?” Sam asked.

“Oh, we’ve been here for ages, Sam. You go ahead and pick.” Rory said, slipping a lock of Amy’s hair out of her face and behind her ear. She crinkled her nose at him and he smiled.

“They are enough to make you sick, those two.” The Doctor muttered.

“Have you known each other long?” Sam asked.

“Something along ten human years, was the last count.”  

Sam was impressed. Castiel had been with them only five and it was like missing a hand when he wasn’t around.

“Can we go somewhere… nice? Somewhere that doesn’t require us fighting for our lives? I would like Cas and Dean to be able to just… chill.”

The Doctor gave him a peculiar look and without looking, typed something into the console. “The Scrolls. We will go to the Scrolls.” The TARDIS hitched all of a sudden and Dean let out a yelp. “But let’s go the long way. The scenic route, what do you say, Sam?”

Sam nodded. “That would be great, Doctor. Are there windows or something? I would hate to waste this trip and not be able to see outer space.”   

Amy perked up from her chair. “Oh, Doctor! Can we do the thing? Please? Brian got to do it and I did too and I absolutely adored it! Please, Doctor, can we?”

She was practically dancing in her chair and the Doctor looked like he didn’t his Amy anything. A wide grin split his face and Sam saw then that although their relationship was complicated, Amy was his best friend in the entire galaxy.

“Of course, Pond. Sam, if you’ll come with me, please.”

And that is how Sam found himself floating in outer space, his only line tethering him to the TARDIS the Doctor’s firm grip on his ankle.

Dean took one look at him and said, “I think I’m going to be sick.” Before he ran to the back of the ship for a bathroom. Before Cas ran after him, he grinned at Sam.

And Sam was amazed. For all the things he had seen in all his life, short of watching Jess wake up in his arms, this was the most beautiful thing in all of creation.   

He was out there for a short while before the Doctor pulled him in. “Do we have to close the doors, Doc? Can I just sit here and watch the stars?”

It was what the Doctor saw in his eyes, that little boy that had never been, not really, that made the Doctor pause for a moment. Dean would have called it the puppy dog eyes, but in reality, the Doctor knew it was Sam being honest. He had so little to want in life. Anything that he believed he could obtain. So the Doctor said yes, the doors could remain open for a bit longer but eventually they would have to hit the space time continuum and Dean would kill the Doctor if he let Sam get sucked out into some unknown time and location.

That was fair, Sam decided. He sat at the edge of the TARDIS, staring out into space and after a few moments, he felt someone bump his legs.

“Scoot over, Godzilla.” Amy said. Sam grinned and swung his legs out into space. It was cooler out there but that was kind of nice too.

“So. Tell me about yourself.” She said as she handed him a sandwich wrapped neatly in wax paper. “Gift from the TARDIS. She seems to know a lot about you guys.”

Sam unwrapped it to find it piled high with vegetables with only a smattering of meat and dressing. Oh, she knew him very well.

“Hm, well, not a lot to know. I was poisoned as a baby with demon blood, mom died right after, grew up as a hunter in a marginally functional family, went to college, watched my girlfriend die, went back to hunting, watched my father die, watched my brother die, watched my brother come back, met Castiel, met a bunch of other angels who were dicks, went to hell for a little while because I wouldn’t be Lucifer’s vessel here on earth, came back without a soul, tried to kill the man who is essentially my father, got my soul back, lost my mind, watched Castiel lose his mind, watched Cas die again, watched my brother’s heart break, found Cas, Cas had no memory, Cas got his memory back, Dean and Cas ended up in Purgatory, came back, watched them fall slowly and very painfully in love, and slammed the gates of hell shut.” Sam took a deep breath. “There may be some things I skipped, but essentially, that’s it.”

Amy nodded, chewed on her sandwich and said, “You’re right. Not much to the Winchesters and their angel.”

“Oh, no. That angel is one hundred percent Dean’s.” Sam waved his delicious sandwich around. 

“He would die for you too.” The Doctor said from the console where he had his feet kicked up. He had seemed very interested in Sam’s quick summary of the Winchester story.

“That’s probably true. But Dean belongs to Cas and Cas belongs to Dean. I guess I’m kind of shared property between the two of them.”

“You need something all your own.” Amy whispered. Her eyes flicked over to Rory who was leaning back in a hammock the TARDIS had provided.

“Probably. But right now, I’m just reveling in the fact that Dean has something to call his very own. He’s always just given and given and given everything for me, you know? So now that he has Cas, it’s nice to see someone else run to him for whatever reason. For, actually, every reason.” Sam smirked at his sandwich and raised his eyes to Amy’s. She was staring at him with a great deal of interest of what he might have to say. “Cas and I went on a supply run last week and this rabbit ran out in front of me. I couldn’t stop. I hit it. And Cas was so upset he made me stop so he could heal it but it was too late. Poor little bunny was a goner. But he held it the entire way home and when Dean saw what happened he didn’t even yell at him for getting blood on Baby. Instead, he found him a shoebox and they gave that damn rabbit a freaking burial. Like, this is what Cas has turned my brother into. It used to be that he wouldn’t even say the word ‘emotions’ without rolling his eyes. Now Castiel has him burying roadkill.” Sam shrugged. “I can be happy with that.”

Amy regarded him with dark eyes for a long moment and it felt like looking at Dean. Like she could know everything. “If that’s what you say, Godzilla.”

“Time to come inside, Sam.” The Doctor said. Sam stood and took one last look at the stars as the doors closed.

~~~~

Cas placed a cool rag on the back of Dean’s neck. He sat next to him silently.

“Cas, make it go away.” Dean whined.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” Dean asked, leaning against the cool toilet.

“These are your emotions in control, nothing physical.”

“I like the ground, ya know? That’s why I love Baby. She’s grounded.”

Cas dropped a kiss on his head. “Yes, Dean. I know. I’ll go find you a bedroom.” As he turned, Cas saw a door that hadn’t been there seconds ago. He frowned and placed his hand on it. The TARDIS warmed to his touch and he knew instinctively that that was his and Dean’s room. “Found it.” He said. He offered Dean a hand up and Dean climbed to his feet.

Inside the room was a large bed, easy enough to fit both Dean and Cas. There were pajamas already laid out on the bed for Dean and he gratefully stripped out of his clothes. When he was down to his lucky boxers (that literally said lucky around the waist band and had four leaf clovers everywhere) he slipped into the gray pajama pants and black Metallica tshirt. He laid down and groaned. “Cas.”

“Hm?”

“I love the TARDIS. She knew it was memory foam.”

“Go to sleep, Dean.”

“Lay with me?”

It was an invitation that Cas never refused.

An hour later, when he was sure Dean was asleep, Cas slipped out of bed. He made his way, barefoot, wearing only red pajama bottoms to the console. He knew the Doctor would be there, fiddling with the TARDIS. It felt good to be unfettered by any kind of shirt or jacket. He usually kept them on to remind him to keep his wings cloaked but the TARDIS encouraged him to relax. He could spread his wings here and the TARDIS helped him hide them away.

Cas fell lightly into a chair next to the Doctor. The Doctor promptly got out his sonic screwdriver and scanned him again. It had become something of a habit of his.

“You are light.” The Doctor concluded, after a long moment of fiddling with his screwdriver.

“I am.” Cas agreed. “I can best express it as a series of partial differential equations.”

“Please, do.” The Doctor said, leaning forward to hear the Angel’s words.

They talked late into the night, with Amy and Sam wandering in and out of the conversation.

“So even to an atheist, they could simply explain you away as a different species.” The Doctor concluded, leaning back in his chair, tapping the console.

Cas shrugged. “I suppose so. It is not my mission to make others believe.”

“I can respect that, Castiel-Angel-of-the-Lord.” The Doctor said. “However, there is something else I want to ask you about.”

“Dean.” Cas murmured.

“Well, yes. Is your race psychic as well?” The Doctor leaned back in his chair, crossing an ankle over his knee.

“No. Not really. Yes. It’s hard to explain. Sometimes would probably be the best answer.”

The Doctor laughed out loud. “This must be what it’s like to talk to me.”

“Exactly.” Amy piped up from the hammock in the corner. She had a book in one hand and Rory had fallen asleep against her.

“Did you really pull him from hell?” The Doctor asked.

“Yes.” Cas answered.

“And is it as terrible as I have heard?”

“Worse.” Cas whispered, remembering Dean hung on meat hooks, his blood splashed everywhere, the knife in his hands, _the screams_. That was what haunted Dean and Cas the most.

“You are getting stronger, Castiel. Your grace, I mean. So is the TARDIS. Are you charging each other?” The Doctor asked abruptly.

“I believe so. Although I have no idea why.”

“How old are you, Cas? Can I call you Cas? Or do you prefer Castiel?” Amy asked from the hammock.

“You may call me Cas, if you wish.” Cas smiled softly at Amy. Much to the Doctor’s surprise, she blushed. “And I am eons old. In human terms, millions and millions of years old.”

“We must look like children to you.” Amy said softly, after a long pause.

“You are my Father’s children. And so unbearably beautiful.” He looked from Amy to Rory and over to the Doctor. “I need to go to Dean. Good night.”  

They watched him as he left.

“Never, in all my years, have I seen one being cling so closely to another.” The Doctor said.

Amy and the Doctor watched Castiel’s retreating back. He smiled slightly and  turned to the console. “To the Scrolls, then.”

“What are the Scrolls?” Amy asked.

“A series of planets. They were designed by Jacobians to be kind of a honeymoon place of the universe. If Sam wants to give Castiel and his brother some time off, I can’t think of a better place. Lush gardens, libraries, movies, hiking, camping, amusement parks, everything and anything a human could want,” The Doctor held up a finger, “While being escorted around by the one of the Jacobians themselves, who are known universe-wide for their customer service skills.”

“Why didn’t we come here for our honeymoon?” Amy asked.

“Oh come now, your honeymoon was spectacular.”

“Um, no it wasn’t.”

“We almost died, Doctor.” Rory reminded him.

“It was memorable then!”

“He’s got you there.” Amy said. She tugged on his hair and pulled him down to kiss her. They heard the Doctor make the familiar noise of disgust and Rory felt Amy’s lips smile against his own.

“I’m going to wake the boys. Don’t wander off yet.” The Doctor said, pointing a finger at them. Amy raised her eyebrows and nodded. He scurried down the hall, running into Sam who was exiting his own room.

“Good morning, Sam! We have arrived. I was just about to get you boys up.” The Doctor threw the door open to Cas and Dean’s room before Sam could warn him. Sam, for his own part, barely had enough time to clap a hand over his eyes and yell, “No, wait!”

Instead of seeing whatever it was that Sam expected behind those closed doors, the Doctor opened the door to Dean pulling on an AC/DC shirt and Cas, shirtless, frowning at the button fly of his jeans. “I prefer zippers.” He muttered but began buttoning up anyway.

“Dean, Castiel! We have arrived! Come, come the whole of space awaits you!” The Doctor made some funny gesture with his hands and Castiel jerked a white tshirt out of Dean’s hands and pulled it on. Sam was stumbling down the hall, eyes shut, hands clamped over his ears. As the other three walked passed him, Dean clapped him on the back and Cas glanced at him. He opened his eyes to see them pass by and sighed. He had opened the door on one too many trysts to trust not knocking as long as he lived.

The group gathered at the door all looking expectantly at the Doctor. “We will let Sam have the honors of going first.” The Doctor snapped once more and the doors opened slowly. From what Dean could see, there was a forest in front of them, lined with plush grass and a row of people on either side.

Well, at least, they resembled people. Sort of. They had the usual two arms, two legs, two eyes, nose, human thing going on. But beyond that, they were… different. Their skin was a light green that blended nicely with the grass. Their eyes were a bright purple and they all had wide smiles. They grinned at Sam and if the Doctor had not been so pleased with their arrival, Dean would have been creeped out. As it was, Cas gripped his hand so hard that he had to mutter, “Babe, you’re hurting me.” Cas loosened his grip but did not let go. To their left and right were these aliens, five on each side.

“Jacobians! Did I park correctly this time? I didn’t squash a house again, did I?”

“You did excellent, as always Doctor. Houses are replaceable.” The largest alien said, stepping forward to shake the Doctor’s hand. “And you have brought guests! Tell me, who is the lucky couple?” He sounded as pleased as if he had won the lottery. At least, Dean thought the alien was male. Did aliens have male/female parts? Or was there more than just a binary system that had been established on earth? Dean shrugged away his thoughts.

“Dean Winchester and Castiel-Angel-of-the-Lord, this is Gemma. She will be your guide for today. You need anything, anything at all, and she will be able to help you. No fighting.” He said, raising a finger at Dean. Dean nodded solemnly.

“My colleagues will take care of the rest of your guests. Dean Winchester and Castiel-Angel-of-the-Lord, right this way, please.” She turned with a flourish and they followed her.

“Uh, Gemma?” Dean said. “You can call him Castiel. Only the Doctor calls him the other one.”

“Certainly, Dean Winchester.” Gemma replied and gestured forward to the path and with one last glance over his shoulder at Sam, who gave him a thumbs up, they walked into their first alien planet. The Doctor nudged Amy and Rory forward. They had no qualms about walking on to an alien planet alone and following a green humanoid alien. Amy waved at the Doctor and he grinned.

“Now, although we are not a couple, we would like to hang about, if that’s all right?” The Doctor asked one of the other aliens.

“Doctor, you do not need to be with someone to enjoy these planets. Although it is highly recommended, we will not turn away you or any of your guests. Please, where would you like to start?” A much smaller alien asked.

“Sam?”

“What is there to do here?” He asked.

The smaller green alien in front of them practically squealed in delight. “Oh! A newcomer! I’ve got a newcomer!” Her counterparts looked positively jealous. “Come, Sam Winchester. We will get you started.” The Doctor grinned and followed their guide and Sam took one last look at the TARDIS and started after them.

~~~~

Cas had not let go of Dean’s hand yet.

“Are you scared?” Dean asked.

“Of course not. This is just unknown territory. All of my existence was spent on Earth and this place is new and-“ Cas huffed.

“You’re scared.”

“I can still smite you, Dean Winchester.”

Dean smiled at Cas and pulled him over to kiss him. The walk was beautiful. All green grass and purple-blue skies and red trees and blue flowers. It was like walking into a painting that had been saturated in color. Even the rocks beneath their feet were sprinkled in color.

“It’s like living inside a rainbow.” Dean said. He kept pausing to look at things, only to have Cas tug him along. “Gemma, where are we headed to?”

“We are going to the personality process. From there, our computer will process what adventure configuration will suit you both the best and off you go! Oh, it’s so exciting to have a human and celestial being of light here.” She clapped her hands together.

“You really love your job, don’t you?” Dean said. He smiled. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

“Oh yes. It is an adventure every day. And we make people _happy._ We see them when they are at their very best. It is, truly, a job that requires no labor.” She stopped in front of, for all intents and purposes, what looked like an airport scanner. “This doesn’t hurt a bit. It takes a look inside of you and finds out what you like. Then, it combines both of your interests into one adventure which I will personally escort you on. It takes only a moment and then we will be off!” She gestured for Dean to go first. Castiel reluctantly let go of his hand and he stepped forward. Glass panels slid shut in front of and behind him and he waved at Cas from the inside. There was a burst of sweet smelling air and a soft yellow light cloaked him for a brief second. Cas looked at him suspiciously for a moment and then the panels slid open.

“Quite the adventurer, Dean Winchester. Castiel, if you would step forward please.”

Cas frowned once more but stepped forward. The process was repeated and from the side of the machine, Gemma plucked two bracelets out.

“We will be starting with some relaxation. Massages, breathing techniques, and lunch. From there, it looks like a hike and for some night time adventure we will head to the rollercoasters and Ferris wheels.” Dean grinned. He had wanted to take Cas on a Ferris wheel since… well, since ever. “Then dinner and off to our hotel.” Gemma turned. “Let’s get started.”

~~~~

Rory reclined next to Amy high above the gardens. There was a glass of champagne in each other hands and his wife’s face was partially hidden by huge sunglasses one of the Jacobians had given her.

“Isn’t this nice? Being able to relax? I mean sure, we had to pick up Americans and travel to a far distant string of planets to get it done, but the Doctor’s finally done it.” Rory remarked. Amy threaded her fingers through his and hummed in agreement.

“They seem nice. The boys, I mean.”

“Other than practically serial killers.” Rory pointed out.

“Well, in all fairness…” Amy began.

“Yes, yes. I know. The dark things that go bump in the night that will terrify and kill us all. Americans are just… final about the whole bit, don’t you think?”

“Those things that go bump in the night killed their parents and Sam’s girlfriend and took away Dean’s potential family. I don’t blame them. I would kill them too. Don’t you remember me ripping time and space apart for you?”

“Don’t you remember me razing half the galaxy for you?”

“You have only proven my point.”

Rory stuck his tongue out at her. She laughed, that full throated laugh that made him forgive her every time. “Let’s bring your father here. I’m sure he would enjoy it.”

Before Rory could agree, something in the purple blue sky caught his eye. He lowered his own sunglasses and watched it. Amy leaned forward. “What’s that?”

It was a hellish red, streaked with silver. “Nyana!” Amy called out. Their Jacobian was by their side in a second. “What is that?” Amy asked again, pointing it out to her.

“It is not a ship I recognize.” She turned to her side and pushed a button on the wall, reveling a wide flat screen. “We do not have any ships coming in for the rest of the day and the computer is identifying that ship as… Oh dear.”

“Oh dear, what?” Rory said, standing up. He set his glass down and his crisp white shirt did nothing to hide the tension in his shoulders.

“It’s a ship from the Stormcage. What business could they possibly have here?”

“Take us to the Doctor.” Amy demanded.

“Now.” Rory said.

~~~~

“Are you sure it’s quite safe?” The Doctor asked, peering up at the rollercoaster. Sam was bouncing on his toes, unable to hide his excitement. “How about you go first and then I’ll follow you, next round?”

“Doctor! You travel through all of time and space and you are afraid of a rollercoaster?” Sam asked.

“The TARDIS is not a rollercoaster. She is nice and gentle and much more… Not a rollercoaster.” The Doctor peered up again at the giant ride and sighed. He would do this one thing for Sam but was calling it quits for the day. He could hide in the TARDIS while everyone had their adventures-

“What is that?” Sam asked, shielding his eyes and looking skyward.

“A ship.” The Doctor said, also looking up. They paused. Then the Doctor said, “From the Stormcage.”

“What’s the Stormcage?”

“Containment facility. Well, planet. They house the most violent criminals there. Well, they did. Until my wife broke free and there was an investigation and the whole thing was shut down. Scandalous. From what I can gather, there are some genetic experiments and other top secret things that go on there now conducted by the FF8.”

“You have a wife?” Sam asked. “Where is she?”

“When. When is she? Who knows. She pops up every now and again. You’ll meet her, I’m sure-“

“Wait, experiments?” Sam asked.

“Yes.” The Doctor said. Sam turned and scanned the area for their Jacobian. “Where’s Dean? Where’s Cas?”

The Doctor turned. Their Jacobian was not in sight. “Oh, dear.”

~~~~

It was on their hike when Cas saw it. “Dean, look. Is that a ship?”

“Looks like.”

Gemma paused and turned around. “Oh, good. They are here.”

“Who is that, Gemma?”

“That would be the FF8. Please, come along.” She said, gesturing to a path off to their right. Dean shrugged and followed it, Cas right behind him.

“Dean, I don’t like it.” He said. “Where’s the Doctor?”

“What don’t you like?” Dean asked, glancing over his shoulder.

“It doesn’t feel right. I think the TARDIS is trying to communicate with me and it doesn’t like it either.” Dean stopped and turned to him. Another snide remark was on his lips but died away when he saw the concern in Castiel’s eyes. “We need to get back to the Doctor. Now.”

“Ok, all right. Gemma? Would you mind transporting us back to the Doctor before you greet the other, uh, incoming guests?”

“Sorry, Dean. Castiel’s presence was requested at this meeting.”

“Why?” Dean asked, stepping in front of Cas, shoving the angel behind him. It was a silly gesture. Castiel was millions of years old and could devastate an entire state if he had half the mind to. Especially since being pumped up on TARDIS steroids. But it was instinct and if there was one thing Dean knew, it was to follow that hunch.

“We’ve never met a being such as him before. Although you are pretty interesting as well. Come, there is business to conduct.” Gemma, with that silly smile still on her face, pulled out a small silver gun. Dean could have hidden it in his palm. He snorted. She shot a tree and cleared a fifteen foot radius. The smirk fell away from his mouth. “Castiel, you will stow your power or I will cut your human in half. Are we clear?”

Castiel’s mouth pressed into a thin line but he nodded. He grabbed Dean’s hand in his own and turned to march down the path.

“What are you doing?” Dean hissed. “ _Smite_ her and we can make a run for the TARDIS.”

“I won’t risk you, Dean. And my wings have been… I’m not sure. I cannot fly here though.”

“Fuck.” Dean said softly.

“Indeed.”

They came to a clearing near a sterile looking building. Whatever passed for concrete around here took up acres of land and the noxious red and silver ship landed. Just as it did, Amy and Rory burst through another path with their Jacobian next to them. They were panting.

“What is going on?” Rory demanded. “That’s a Stormcage ship.”

“Gemma! We do not have dealings with them!” Nyana said. The door to the ship opened and beings of various sizes stepped out. Gemma raised her small gun and shot Nyana, neatly slicing her in half. Rory and Amy yelled and jumped back. Castiel made to run to her but Gemma stopped him.

“Stay where you are, Castiel. I will kill all three humans.” Gemma said. She turned to the individuals now standing at the base of the ship. Rory and Amy exchanged panicked looks and began to shuffle over to Castiel and Dean. Gemma said nothing.

“The Doctor’s coming.” Rory muttered.

“Oh, well that’s great. What’s he going to do with his screwdriver thingy against these… other thingies?” Dean said. His hands grasped for anything. The gun he kept at his ankle, the small of his back. Maybe the thigh holster that Cas had bought him last Christmas. The machete that Sam was always trying to steal. Ruby’s knife. _Anything_.

But the Doctor had insisted that he leave any weapons he had on the TARDIS. All he had was his bare hands.

“They want Cas.” Dean whispered to Amy and Rory.

“Course they do. All pumped up on light and energy and partial differential equations or some such. He’s got a powerful motor in there, yeah? Course they want him.” Amy yanked Cas behind her and Rory stood next to her. They made an intimidating team. Dean stepped in front of them.

“Give us the celestial being of light, Gemma. We have other business.” One of the gruff individuals said.

She gestured to the three of them.  Castiel attempted to move through Amy and Rory. They jostled him back and he looked pained.“Amy, Rory. Please. Let me through. I cannot have you harmed-“

And then the TARDIS showed up. The Doctor and Sam stepped out. They were fifty yards away and the Doctor waved at them. The other group waved back warily. Sam sprinted over to Dean. “They want Cas.” Dean muttered to Sam.

“Gathered.” He pushed his sleeves up and took a defensive position. If this was going down in hand to hand, Dean’s money was on Sam. He had a hell of a reach.

“Now, from what I can tell,” The Doctor began, “Is you bunch want our friend back there.”

There was a smattering of agreement from the individuals in black at the base of the ship.

“What I can tell you is that those four and myself will not be letting that happen.” The Doctor said. “Castiel is our friend and he is not going anywhere.”

“Then we will kill you.” A sweet, feminine voice said from inside one of the black suits. If she had not been so tall, well over seven feet, Dean would have thought she was a child.

“No need for that.” The Doctor spread his arms. “Take me instead.”

Their small group immediately roared. Dean spun around suddenly and hissed, “Shut up! Shut up, all of you!”

“They can’t take him, Dean!” Amy hissed back.

“They won’t, Amy. They won’t.” He reached back behind her and hauled Castiel forward. Dean leaned into him, so that they were forehead to forehead. “I love you.” He said roughly. “Hold on to Sam.” Then Dean kissed him, hard. He stepped back. He hugged Sam who looked confused. “Hold on to Cas for me. Don’t you dare let him go. Don’t let him go dark side. You hear me?” And before anyone knew what he was saying, Dean took off at a trot to the individuals in black. He positioned himself in front of the Doc.

“No, I think you want me.” Dean said brazenly. Distantly, he heard a roar and looked down to see the concrete beneath him crack. His angel.

“Dean, no-“ The Doctor started.

“You could get a crazy dude with a crazy blue box but I’m offering you a deal.” Dean said, talking over the Doctor. “Let them leave and you can have me.” He spread his arms, mocking the Doctor.

“You are just a human.” The too-tall child voice said.

“That’s where you are wrong. I’m the Righteous Man, branded by Heaven to save my world from the Apocalypse. I’m a warrior. I have fought through Purgatory.” Dean lifted his chin defiantly. “Heaven razed Hell just for me. You can have a crazy guy, an angel that will lose his batteries as soon as he is away from the blue box or… you can have me.”

The too tall child turned to the one at the beginning of the line who regarded Dean for a long time. “Fine. We will take him.”

“Let the others go first.”

“No!” Cas said, starting forward. “No, Dean, you will not go.”

Dean noted Amy and Rory helping Sam off the ground. “Yes, I will Cas. And you will go back home.” Dean glared at him but in the back of his mind he thought desperately, _Find me. You can find me. All of space and time, you’re it for me. Come find me. It won’t work the other way around Cas. I won’t be able to find you. Please, keep Sam safe and come find me._ And with all his might he inwardly pushed at Cas. Castiel stopped and tilted his head to the side. He got it. Dean knew he got it.

“Go.” Cas whispered. Dean noted the trembling in his hands. He felt sick. Cas wouldn’t be in this space ship to calm his nerves. He wouldn’t be able to kiss away the motion sickness.

“Dean!” Sam screamed from the other side of the concrete field.

“Cas, you need to stop him. Don’t let him go dark side.” Dean said.

“I’ll find you.” Cas vowed.

“I know you will.” Dean’s voice was steady.

“Dean, stop it. Come here now.” The Doctor demanded.

“Sorry, Doc. I made a deal with a girl.” He trembled and looked behind him. “Go, Cas. Get Sam in the TARDIS.” Then he felt two rough arms grab him and haul him back.

“No! You drop him now! Or I’ll…” Dean noticed the Doctor waving his sonic screwdriver at the aliens and he sighed. Nothing was going to stop this now. They dragged him up the stairs and he watched Cas stop Sam with a rough tackle and the Doctor pace helplessly. Rory grasped Amy who had fallen against him. Rory was the only one to meet his eyes fully. Rory knew what it was to sacrifice for the one he loved.

Dean’s eyes met Castiel’s one last time.

_Find me, angel face._


	3. Aliens and Assholes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is gone, the TARDIS is malfunctioning, Castiel's wings are pinned and Sam occasionally fears for everyone's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, welcome back. I'm glad you are still with me. Discussion on matter and energy in this chapter are from my own understanding and any mistakes are mine. Comments, as always, are welcome.

“Follow them!” Castiel roared, pulling himself off Sam. Sam sat up in time to see the red and silver ship streak off. He leaned back to watch it leave.

“TARDIS, now!” The Doctor said. Rory and Amy pulled Sam to his feet. Castiel was already stalking into the TARDIS behind the Doctor.

“Come on, sexy. It’s all on you.” The Doctor said as he spun dials and threw levers.

The TARDIS lit up like Heaven welcoming home a lost son and then went black. “No, no, no! Castiel, what is wrong with her?” The Doctor screamed.

Cas stood in the middle of the room, hands clenched, looking down. “We are missing people. Three people. They need to be here before we can find Dean. She will go as soon as we know where to go.”

“Stormcage!” The Doctor screamed at the console. “Go to the Stormcage!”

“She can’t find it.” Castiel said.

“No, what do you mean, she can’t find it? She’s a space and time machine.” Sam looked around desperately. “Doctor! Make her find the fucking cage where they have my brother!”

“I can’t.” The Doctor whispered. His face was drawn and white. “She won’t go where she can’t. And she can’t find him.” He slammed his hand down on the console. “Damn you! He’s had enough! He’s been through enough, now find him!” He screamed at the console. The lights lit up and dimmed once more.

“Cas, can you find him?” Amy asked quietly.

“He is beyond me. He is too far.” Cas said.

It was Rory who recognized it before anyone else. The loss, the despair. He had felt it when Amy had kicked him out. When he had made the decision to wait outside the Pandorica for two thousand years. He knew it felt like someone was ripping something out of him. That precious something that kept him going after all this time.

“Castiel,” Rory started. “We will find him.”

“Ah ha! Rory!” The Doctor cried out. “Find River! Bring her here.” He tossed Rory a vortex manipulator.

“Where?” He asked.

The Doctor whirled around. “I don’t know. She is _your_ daughter. Find her! Bring her! I _need_ her.”

_Cas, I need you_. The words slammed into Cas and he almost cried out. As it was, his grace was getting hard to control and a few controls on the console blew out.

“Amy! 221B Baker Street! Quick as you like. Tell the tall one… Tell him it’s time he repaid the favor.” The Doctor tossed another watch device and she blinked out of sight. Rory fell out of sight after a few more moments.

“Castiel. You have to calm down and focus. If you do not focus, this symbiotic relationship you have with the TARDIS will cause you harm and her to explode. As fond of you as I am, the TARDIS can rip a hole in time and space and it will be… unfortunate.” The Doctor said calmly.

Castiel’s head was bowed and Sam crept closer to him. Sam looked lost without his brother. Even though he had not known them for terribly long, the Doctor knew a strong bond when he saw it. Without his brother, Sam looked less than himself.

Cas looked up at Sam. “I can’t feel him anymore, Sam.”

“Cas-“

“I can’t even feel my wings anymore. The TARDIS is pushing me back. She won’t let me-“

“You heard the Doc, if you do, you’ll explode all of time and space.”

Castiel whirled to face the Doctor. Sam couldn’t help but be reminded of when the Leviathans took him over. He pulsed with a dark energy.

“It’s your fault that we were here-“

“Cas!” Sam cried out. He laid a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “Cas, don’t. Laying blame in convenient places will not bring Dean back any faster.”

“I can’t even fly to him, Sam. Do you know when the last time it was that I couldn’t fly to him?”

“When he was in hell?” Sam guessed. Cas was talking. This was better than directing all that scary energy at the Doctor.

“When Naomi had me. She pinned my wings, Sam. And that’s what the TARDIS is doing now.”

“Let’s give the Doc’s plan a try, ok? Then, if we need to, we can summon everything we know. All right?” Sam soothed. It was heartening to see it. Dean was so often their rock, it was good to see Sam holding it together for the two of them. Cas nodded tightly as Sam’s words, cast one more look at the Doctor and stalked to the back of the TARDIS.

~~~~

It could have been worse. He could have been bound by meat hooks. As it was, he was just sitting in the middle of a sterile white room in his boxers. There was no one else around.

Dean laid back and thought of Cas and Sam.

_“Dean, I’m sick of this.”_

_“Sick of what, Sam?” Dean had expected Sam to say of hunting, of the life; that Sam wanted to go back to school or get a real life._

_“I’m sick of watching you and Cas fight. Can’t you just tell him?” Sam’s face was a strange mixture of anger and desperation. “I know. He knows. You know. Can’t you two just… stop?”_

That had been the beginning of the end. Of course Sam knew. He would be a blind idiot to ignore everything in front of him.

~~~~

“Hello, sweetie.”

The Doctor spun to greet River and Rory. She had that half smile on her mouth and a quirked eyebrow. “Did you break the TARDIS again?”

“River, this is important.” The Doctor half pleaded. “There is a man who was taken from me- He was in my care and they- He was taken, River. It is of the utmost importance that we find him.”

River was taken aback by his tone. She recognized it; strained and desperate. Whoever this man was, he was very important. “Why can’t the TARDIS find him?”

“I don’t know!” He said, half screaming at the controls.

“All right, go get yourself some tea and I’ll work on her.” River strode purposefully towards the console, all business now.

“I’m not leaving now-“

“What have you been feeding her?!” River asked, pulling the screen towards herself. “She’s is bursting with energy. Did you put her inside a time rift for a century or so?”

“It’s me.” Castiel said from the top of the stairs. River turned to look at him. She grabbed for the Doctor and pulled his sonic out. She walked over to Castiel and scanned him. Twice.

“This isn’t possible. I mean, you are a human but you are not- You are light. Pure, energy and light. Doctor?”

“Here, let me explain.” Castiel said. “It’s faster this way and we have no time to waste.” He raised his hand to her head and raised his eyebrows. She turned back to the Doctor who nodded.

“It’s almost painless.” He said.

Sam walked in just as Castiel laid two fingers on River’s forehead. She gasped and reached for Castiel’s shirt. He held her steady and watched her wide eyes. They were open and staring at him but he knew she wasn’t seeing him. She was seeing everything he had seen in the last forty eight hours soaked in his feelings for his family.

He keenly felt the loss of Dean. It was worse than falling. He felt like someone had ripped away his faith in the natural order of things; that there would be no happy ending this time around for them. But he also felt the loss for Sam as well. For as long as he knew, Dean had been Sam’s father, brother and best friend. Between the two of them, there was not a happy memory that was not entangled in the other. One was not the same without the other. And they were not as strong apart as they were together.

“My god, Doctor. How could you let that one slip through your fingers?” River snapped, turning to face him.

“He sacrificed himself! I couldn’t stop him. Castiel-Angel-of-the-Lord couldn’t stop him!” The Doctor said, flapping his hands at Cas.

“Don’t you see? That’s who he is! It’s in his very genetic code to sacrifice himself over and over again for those that he loves. And oh, you _had_ to have the two greatest people he loved here.” River stomped over to the console once more, her boots snapping against the TARDIS along the way. She flipped switches only to have them spark at her. “She’s too full, Doctor! She won’t even respond to me-“

“You have to dump energy. Obviously.” The timbre rich voice drew everyone’s attention. Everyone but Castiel whirled around to see Amy accompanied by a man as tall as the Doctor and a much shorter man. “We will have to expend much energy if this one plans on staying aboard.” The taller man said, his blue eyes staring Castiel down.

Sam rushed over to Castiel’s side. “Ok, so let’s not get pissed off about this asshole ok? Let’s concentrate on finding Dean-“

Suddenly the tall man was flung to the side of the TARDIS and everyone startled. “This one. Is. Staying. If you are here to help Dean, fine.” Castiel strode over to the man who was now helpless against a wall. He shook off Sam’s hand and when Amy stepped forward, he pushed her aside, albeit gently. River gathered her near and they watched, Rory close behind them. Sam was on Castiel’s heels. The Doctor held back and watched, his sonic in his hand. “I went to war with hell for this man. I pulled him from death and he held me tight while everything else fell apart.” Castiel was now inches from the tall man’s nose. “I can explode your internal organs with a thought. You should show me some respect.”

Castiel held up a hand and Sam dove for it. He might as well have been diving for a statue. He wrapped his arms around Castiel’s right forearm. “Ok, no snapping. The Doctor says we need him, let’s trust him on this. Please, Cas. Don’t go dark side. Please.” Sam shuddered against Cas. “Cas, you’re all I have in these aliens and assholes. Help me.”

Castiel looked over at Sam and something in his expression broke. He tried to remain steady and almost succeeded. He nodded only once. Castiel let the tall man down and turned once again. Sam could practically see the trench coat swishing behind him as he exited once again. He missed his brother. His brother would know how to tease Castiel into a good mood. Sam sighed and turned to the two men.

“Sam Winchester. That was Castiel.”

“What is he?” The smaller man said in a huff of a breath.

“An angel of the lord. A warrior since the beginning of mankind and your friend kind of pissed him off.” Sam turned to leave.

“Your brother is it? That was taken. Older brother. The angel and him are involved.” The man straightened his shoulders and tucked his shirt back into his pants more tightly. He rolled his shoulders back and looked Sam straight in the eye as he slowly turned. “Tell me about him.”

“What?” Sam said, taken back by his demands and abruptness.

“Tell me everything you know about your brother. We don’t have time.”

“We’re in a time machine. We actually have all the time in the world.” The Doctor reminded them. He then learned what Dean meant when he muttered “Bitch face.”

“You’ll have to narrow it down. What do you want to know?” Sam said, turning to the man. “Wait, who are you?”

“Sherlock Holmes. My colleague, Dr. John Watson. What was your brother like?”

“He was happy. For the first time in a long-“ Sam glanced over his shoulder for Cas.

“Why was he unhappy before?”

“Our lives were not pleasant.”

“You were soldiers. No, not really soldiers but you fought, side by side.” Sherlock said. “With the angel. Tell me, why was he happy in his final days?”

“Because of Castiel. Cas made him happy.” Sam shrugged helplessly. Castiel stormed back in.

“I have more than enough grace for this.” He muttered. He hooked his hand around the back of Sam’s neck, placing his fingers at his temple and his pulse point. He dragged Sam over to Sherlock who took two steps back before being planted against the wall. Castiel planted a hand over Sherlock’s heart and said, “Here is everything you need to know about Dean Winchester.”

Castiel took a deep breath and held all the knowledge of Dean in his mind and then passed it over to Sherlock. His memories were still there and he was pulling more from Sam. His abilities, his history, his habits. Every small thing that made up Dean Winchester was cradled in Castiel’s mind and either carefully handed over to Sherlock for inspection and consideration or delicately replaced in their proper place in either Sam or Castiel’s mind.

“Doctor, what is he doing to him?” Watson asked, watching the Castiel carefully.

“Exactly what he said. Between Sam and Castiel they know him inside out. If it will help Sherlock, I have no objections.” The Doctor said.

“Does it hurt?” Watson asked, noting Sherlock’s hand twitching at his side.

“A bit.” River admitted.

“Tea.” Rory said.

“Yes.” River agreed. Rory left.

A few more minutes and Castiel stepped away from Sherlock and Sam, leaving them both exhausted. Sam fell to his knees and Sherlock slumped against the wall. John touched his arm and asked if he was all right; took his pulse and looked at his pupils. He did the same for Sam but he waved him away. “I’ll be fine. It’s just draining.”

“He was in _hell_ for forty years? And Purgatory for a year?” Sherlock finally said. “How did he- I mean, why-?”

“You know why, Sherlock.” Sam said quietly. “He traded his soul for my life. Castiel raised him. It was all a tradeoff, you could say.” Sam’s shoulder’s slumped once again. He missed Dean so much it hurt. “I need sleep. Are we any closer to finding anything?”

“No, Sam, we are not. Go try to sleep. I will wake you if there is anything.” River said. Amy slipped an arm through Sam’s and half pulled him through the back hallway of the TARDIS.

“We need to dump some of this energy. Or get rid of the angel.” Sherlock repeated once more.

“We are not getting rid of the angel, Sherlock.” The Doctor said, a note of finality ringing clear in his voice. Sherlock sighed and ran his hand over the controls of the TARDIS.

“She cannot handle this much. River is correct, she is bursting with too much energy. We have to have some kind of big event to dump this. Or have Castiel dump a lot of his own energy.”

“Doing what?” Amy asked, peering at Sherlock. “What kind of event could Castiel or the TARDIS create to get rid of that kind of energy?”

Sherlock paced around the console, stealing glances at a little bit of everything. The Doctor watched him.

“The last time the TARDIS displaced a great deal of energy was in doing what?”

“Idris.” The Doctor muttered. “The soul of the TARDIS was placed inside a woman and the instruments were taken over by something else. She couldn’t be moved.”

“So all you have to do to displace a great deal of energy between a celestial being of light and the TARDIS is to what, create another person?” Rory asked. He snorted. “Great. Let’s just make another River. Or hey, why don’t we just make another Dean.”

“No. But we can create something else. Something that would be of use.” Sherlock said, dashing up the stairs. River’s eyes flicked up at him.

“I’ll show you what will be of use…” She muttered. As soon as Sherlock had disappeared up the stairs he walked back down. Castiel was behind him along with Sam.

“I didn’t even make it to my room.” Sam said. Cas placed a hand on his arm and Sam perked up. “Thanks, Cas. All that extra energy, huh?”

“That’s correct, Sam.”

“About that extra energy,” Sherlock started, looking at Castiel. “We need to get rid of it if we are going anywhere in the TARDIS. I believe she can track the ship we are looking for. However, you are aware of the problem. Too much energy. She might explode if we try to take off now.”

Castiel nodded.

“So, we need you to dump that energy. And since energy never dies, we need you to create another- something.”

“I am not God.” Castiel said.

“Completely aware of that.” John said, stepping in front of Sherlock as he opened his mouth. John recognized that look and knew something snarky was about to come out. “But we think that maybe you could, maybe, I don’t know, raise someone from hell? Recreate something that God did make-“ He stopped and sighed. “All right, lesson one of thermodynamics?”

“Energy cannot be created or destroyed.” Rory said. “Everything that ever was is still out there, just in a different… wrapper.” Amy looked at him disapprovingly. He shrugged.

“And that’s all that people and other beings are. Energy wrapped up in bodies. The TARDIS and Castiel are wrapped up in too much so what we are suggesting, Castiel, is that you dump your overload and the TARDIS’s overload into another being. It’s not creating someone or something-“

“It’s gathering an energy that is already there and assembling it into a proper aspect.” Sherlock said.

Castiel regarded both men silently.

“Sam.” Cas said. “Stop. You are hurting my head.”

All the eyes swiveled to Sam who was sitting quietly on the stairs. “He didn’t say anything.” John pointed out.

“That _you_ can hear.” Castiel said. His gaze settled on Sam. “I can try it. I can’t guarantee you he will be the same. Archangels are a tricky sort. Especially that one. Is that what you want?”

“Could you do it?” Sam asked. “Would he help us?”

“He harbored a great deal of affection for you Winchesters, so yes. I do believe he would help us. Can I do it? I’ll be taking up most of my grace and borrowing from the TARDIS.”

“As long as your life isn’t at risk, yes. Try it.”

“Get the bag.” Cas said. Sam nodded and head back into the hallway.

“What are you doing?” The Doctor asked, leaning forward.

“I’m going to raise my brother.” Cas said.

“Please don’t say Lucifer. Please don’t say Lucifer.” Rory muttered.

“No, not him. We called him Gabriel.”      

~~~~

Dean’s first taste of his captors came at a steep price. They had demanded his blood. He had said no. He woke up on his back, a metallic taste deep in the back of his throat and realized he had been shocked. The crook of his arm ached. These guys did not mess around. The doors that held him were glass but he did not approach them. Instead, he leaned against the opposite wall, rubbing his arm. Outside of the glass, a human-like alien with seven eyes watched him. Her fingers were long and held different instruments.

“You know, this ain’t bad. My first day in hell, Alastair peeled the skin from my body. When he was done, he replaced it and lit me on fire.” Dean shrugged. “I guess since I had sold my soul and I was already dead, there wasn’t much ethical ground to stand on.”

She stood silently, watching him. “I don’t suppose you guys have a lot of ethical ground to stand on either. I mean, you did kidnap me, put me in prison and stole my blood.” He rubbed the back of his neck. He ached everywhere. “If my boyfriend were here, you guys would be in all kinds of trouble.” Dean scooted back on his butt to the wall and leaned there for a moment, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

_“Dean, where is Sam?”_ _Cas asked, entering the motel room. Dean had just gotten back, listening to Sam lecture him about Cas the entire way._

_“He’s kind of mad at me. He got a different room.” Dean tugged at his tie and when it refused to come undone immediately, he sighed. He was worn out from the interviews, he was tired of Sam’s endless discussions about his feelings for Castiel and he just wanted to take a nap. Instead, the reason he and his brother were fighting was standing in front of him, staring at him like he was something precious beyond words._

_You know; the usual._

_“Why is Sam upset with you?” Cas asked, taking a seat at the small table by the door. Dean finally got his tie off and threw it on the dresser next to the TV. He kicked off his shoes and began to work on the buttons of his shirt._

_“We just had a difference of opinion on something that’s just come up. It’s nothing. We’ll be fine by the morning.” Cas frowned and Dean had the urge to smooth his thumb over his forehead where it crinkled up. “Promise.”_

_“You don’t seem fine. You are troubled. More so than usual.”_

_Dean let out a scoff. He tugged at the shirt and finally managed to get it off. He glanced towards the bathroom. This was his ritual. Get undressed, get in the shower, get in bed. It was comfort. It was the one little piece of stability he had here. But the angel was here and it was just them. Sam wouldn’t come barging in with a new case at any point. This could be the best time to talk to Cas._

_Dean sat down on the bed. He rubbed his hands over his face and said, “Cas, come here. I need to tell you something.”_

_For a long moment, Cas just stared at him. He tilted his head to the side and stared at him for a_ really _long time. “Cas?”_

_“You are not sick. That is what usually happens in the movies when someone says that. What is wrong, Dean?”_

_“Nothing. I mean, I don’t think- Look, man, I need you to come over here and sit next to me while I tell you this, ok?”_

_Cas frowned but stood and sat next to Dean. “What is it, Dean?”_

_And Dean forgot how to speak. His fingers ached to reach over and_ _press the wrinkles from Castiel’s pants. He wanted to use his tie to tug him close for a kiss. He was just a breath away having never learned the personal space rule._

_“Dean?” Cas asked. He was looking at him and waiting for Dean to speak._

_“I can’t do this, Cas. I can’t.” Dean muttered, looking at his hands. “I mean, I see you all the time, you’re here, you’ve saved our asses more times than I can count and I just… I don’t know how to talk to you anymore.”_

_“I’m right here. What is it that you need to say?”_

_Dean glanced up at him and he noticed that Castiel was holding himself like he was preparing to get hit. His shoulders were square and he was looking at a distant point at the wall._

_Dean launched himself at Cas. “Don’t you dare zap away, Cas. I can’t do this again.”_

_Cas, caught off guard, fell to the side and they rolled with a thump to the floor. “Dean, I’m not sure what is going on anymore. Why did you do that?”_

_“Cas, I-“ And then Castiel kissed Dean. It was so simple. He just leaned forward and pressed his lips to Dean’s. Dean was so surprised that he didn’t respond._

_Cas pulled back. “I’m sorry. I’m- I’m sorry, Dean. I don’t know-“ And Dean could feel him gathering himself to zap away and Dean latched onto him once again. They were laying on their sides, facing each other and Dean slung a leg over Cas and slid an arm underneath his so that he was holding his shoulder._

_“Do it again.” Dean said, sounding strangled._

_“Dean?”_

_“Do it again. I want a do-over.”_

_And after a tense explanation of what a ‘do-over’ was, Cas complied._

_Dean got it right this time._    


	4. Better Topics of Contemplation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is a general, Castiel has a choice to make, some people are on the side of genius, John is upset and Dean is really starting to miss Cas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back. I think this chapter is a bit shorter than the previous, but I hope it's up to par. Comments are welcome! Thanks for sticking with me so far and I hope you enjoy it.

“Gabriel. If I recall correctly, he was an archangel and your _brother?”_   Rory sounded impressed.

“All of the angels that were ever created are my siblings. So yes, Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Lucifer were my brothers. Doctor, can I do this here or would you prefer I go elsewhere?” Castiel asked.

“Wherever you are comfortable.” The Doctor replied. He was hanging on the edge of a rail, barely able to contain his excitement. Sherlock looked suspicious.

“Sam, I’m going to need the myrrh, the knife, the holy oil and the silver bullets. All of the bullets. Doctor, I need you to lock the TARDIS down. And a copper bowl. Amy, would you please find me a copper bowl and some lamb’s blood?”

Amy had already hurried away until she heard lamb’s blood. “Doctor?”

“I’m sure the TARDIS will get it for you.” The Doctor was practically dancing now.

“Sam do we have any lycopodium powder left? And the bone of a greater saint…”

Sam laid everything out in front of Sam and Amy came back in, a dark red jar tucked under one arm and a large copper mixing bowl in the other. She shoved the jar with a look of utter disgust at Rory who took it and walked it over to Cas. The bowl was passed over to him. Cas knelt and poured half of the jar of lamb’s blood into the bowl. He mixed in the myrrh, holy oil and melted the silver bullets in his hand before mixing those in. In front of him, he created a small fire and floated the bowl over it.

“Can you imagine the kind of strain that is putting on him?” The Doctor asked John.

“It doesn’t seem like he is straining himself at all.” John replied.

The TARDIS switched on the sprinklers above them at the first sign of a fire. Everyone panicked, thinking that it would put out the small fire that Castiel created but he didn’t even pause. Upon closer inspection, the Doctor noticed that Castiel and his ingredients were not getting wet. The water was sloughing off to the side of him. Everyone else was getting soaking wet while Castiel and his ritual remained dry.

“Holy water, Sam.” Cas demanded.

Sam handed over the flask that he was turning over and over in his hands. Cas emptied it and then crushed the bone of the saint and sprinkled it in.

“Blood of the brother.” Cas muttered. Sherlock leaned forward. Cas sliced through his arm and John started forward. It was too deep and bled too thickly. He was almost to Castiel before a large arm stopped him.

“He’s an angel of the lord. Does this all the time. It’s fine.” Sam said. “Besides, you never stop a ritual like this once it’s started.”

“Blood of the beloved.” Cas called. Sam stepped forward once more and gave Cas his arm. Cas sliced through again quickly, again, too deep for John’s taste. As soon as he got the appropriate amount of blood, Castiel smoothed a hand over Sam’s arm. John was there in an instant with Sherlock’s scarf to tie off the wound. He grasped Sam’s arm tightly and tried to raise it over the head which got a chuckle from Sherlock. It was like watching David trying to lift Goliath’s arm over his own head.

“It’s fine. Look.” Sam said, showing his unmarked skin to John. It was as though Castiel had never taken a knife to Sam’s arm. John frowned and then looked at Sherlock. Of course, Sherlock was too wrapped up in the ritual to notice any kind of wound.

“Blood of the child.” Cas said.

“Cas there are no children here.” Sam whispered.

“River, please.” Cas called out.

“She’s not a child.” John said.

“She’s our child.” Amy said. Sam, Sherlock and John exchanged a puzzled look, turned to the Doctor who raised his hand and said, “Later. Much, much later.”

Cas slit open River’s arm and then smoothed it over with a touch. As she turned away, Cas caught her hand. From his knees he looked up at her. “Thank you.” He kissed her knuckles and she touched his shoulder.

In front of the fire, Cas threw in the lycopodium powder and dipped his fingers in the strange mixture. He stepped to the wall of the TARDIS and began to swiftly paint runes on the wall. He was saying something under his breath and when he stepped back he was satisfied.

“When I bring Gabriel here, it will be blinding. He can literally burn the eyes from your head. Do not look directly at him until I say it is safe to do so.” He spoke to the wall but everyone understood him.

Everyone, including Sam, moved back ten feet.

Cas planted his feet and began the incantation.

As he began to chant in Enochian, the TARDIS shifted underneath them. It shook and shifted some more and the lights dimmed. Blue lines lit Cas from the inside out and his voice grew louder. The TARDIS shifted again so hard Rory and John were knocked from their feet. The Doctor clapped his hands. The TARDIS shifted once again and everyone watching, including the Doctor, was thrown to the ground. Cas stepped back as the runes began to glow. His voice grew louder as the pressure in the TARDIS changed and press down on everyone.

The Doctor wondered if this was such a good idea.

Castiel fell to one knee suddenly, the blue lines underneath his skin taking on a brighter light. He was shouting now, grounding out the words and the TARDIS dimmed. His hand was on the ground and the Doctor could see him borrowing the energy from her. The runes glowed brighter still. Everyone looked away, burying their faces away.

And as suddenly as it began, it ended.

The light died away and Sam looked up. Gabriel stood there, looking for all the world, as startled as everyone else. Khakis and a green shirt and his hair still fell in his eyes.

“What the hell.” He breathed.

“Brother.” Castiel said.

Gabriel barely caught him before he slumped to the ground.

~~~~

They had brought in a silver table on wheels and a gurney. In all his life, Dean knew this was a bad sign. Another being that looked like a large squid on top of a two legged rhino gestured to the table.

“Please.”

“Go fuck yourself.” Dean said pleasantly from his place on the floor.

“No need for obscenities.”

“Why do you think I am going to be pleasant about this? You took the American, for crying out loud.”

An orderly, or whatever it was they called them here, came through the glass doors. This one was built like a garbage compactor and had the same appealing smell. It picked Dean up and slammed his down on the table. Dean wheezed out a breath while they strapped him down and pulled the smaller table over to him. Underneath the cloth were scalpels, and long thin gray wires. The being with the seven eyes regarded him skeptically.

“This will hurt.”

“No shit.” Dean coughed out. He turned his eyes from the table that held the wires and scalpel. Before the first cut, Dean thought he caught sight of something. A little girl with light blue skin and black hair. She peeked around the corner and the scalpel bit into his skin.

When he began to scream, he forgot about the little girl.

~~~~

“What did you do to him?” Gabriel asked, his arms full angel dead weight. He laid Castiel down gently and the TARDIS lit up like a Christmas tree. To John’s ears, it sounded like she was humming cheerfully. “Sam! Where’s Dean? What’s going on?”

“I wish I had Castiel’s cool trick.” Rory muttered. “Make this so much easier.”

“Maybe it would keep us from getting smote by an archangel too.” Amy said cheerfully.

“We need your help.” Sam said, sounding strained.

“Really? So you didn’t just miss me and make my brother almost kill himself to bring me back when _I was perfectly happy where I was_?”

“Gabe-“ Sam said, starting forward. Hurt danced across his face and Amy grimaced for him.

“No, don’t _Gabe_ me. Is this Lucifer? Last time we met up it wasn’t pleasant. I died, remember? And now you have Cassie here throwing himself into a portal that could kill him for something that I couldn’t prevent? Where the hell is Dean? It was his idea-“

“Shut up!” Sam screamed at Gabriel, trembling. “Dean is gone! Dean sacrificed himself for Cas! Lucifer is locked in the cage with Michael! Just shut up and listen!”

There was silence.

River leaned into the Doctor. “Even for you, watching a man yell at an archangel is weird.”

“But exciting.”

“Tell me everything.” Gabriel said, finally leaning into Sam and putting a hand to his head. Sam closed his eyes and let Gabriel in. Not like it hadn’t happened before. It was easier this way, to pass memories along. He could feel Gabe skip along his memories like a tightrope walker. He missed nothing.

Abruptly, he pulled back. Sam didn’t miss the anger there. Gabriel had lingered on the year when Dean and Cas were in Purgatory.

“You and I will have a discussion.” He said softly. It was worse than hearing Gabriel yell at him.

“Doctor,” Gabriel turned and smiled winningly at everyone. “The name is Gabriel. Archangel. I’m here to rescue my baby bro’s boyfriend. I believe your time space ship will take off now. Let’s get to it.” He clapped his hands and both he and Castiel disappeared.

Sam wasn’t worried. He was sure that Gabriel took him away to recharge his angel batteries. But it still hurt, that anger. The Doctor, River and Sherlock worked over the consoles and Amy watched wordlessly. She took Rory’s hand in her own. She was worried, he could tell. More so than their usual adventures. Maybe it reminded her of when she was taken. Of what they had lost.

The Doctor glanced at John. John was frowning at the spot where Castiel had completed the ritual to bring Gabriel back. He was worried as well. It was screaming from his body. John was not comfortable around the aliens the Doctor had introduced them to months back but now the Winchesters and their angel brought in a whole new element that had thrown off his world view. Sherlock was dying to get his hands on Castiel or Gabriel but for now, he was concerned about the slight twitch in John’s right hand and the blank look that was becoming more and more common. Had he eaten? Sherlock couldn’t recall. The TARDIS took off with a jerk and they were airborne. Or spaceborne.

The Doctor and River leaned over a screen. It flashed lights and symbols that only they and Sherlock were quick enough to process.

“I was not planning on going back to the Stormcage, Doctor.” River said stiffly.

“I know.” The Doctor sighed. “You won’t have to. You can land us there and leave, if you must. None would blame you.”

“No, I’ll go. It seems like Sam is the only one who would be able to handle a weapon out of the lot of you. Well, and Amy as well.”

Rory looked hurt.

“Amy, would you be a dear and see if there is anything in the kitchen? I’m starved.” Sherlock said suddenly. John’s eyes skipped over to him. There was the slightest smile, apologetic on his face.

“Oh, sure. Anyone else? Anything?” She asked.

“I’ll join you.” John said. They left and Rory began to pick up the remnants of Castiel’s ritual.

“Don’t, please?” A soft voice came from the hallway. They all turned to see a blood splattered Castiel. He sat on the stairs. “You shouldn’t touch it.”

Rory nodded and left it.

“You have blood on you.” Sherlock noted. Castiel nodded. “Where is Gabriel?”

“Seeking revelation.”

“Will he be long?”

“No.” Gabriel said, appearing next to Sherlock. He snapped his fingers and a chocolate bar appeared in his hands. “Will _you_ be long, Doctor?”

“Almost there. What is your plan?”

“Destruction. What else did you call up an archangel for?”

“I cannot see the innocent killed, Gabriel.” The Doctor frowned.

“I’m the archangel of justice, Doc. The innocent will be spared. They will be the _only_ ones spared though. Oh, and Dean.” Gabriel shrugged and took a large bite out of the candy in his hand. “Where is he?”

“In Stormcage.” River replied.

“Is that a prison…?” Gabriel led.

“It is. It is a prison that used to house the most dangerous criminals in all of time and space. Until River broke out. There was an investigation which led to some covers, all very scandalous. The place was shut down and then the FF8 took it over for scientific research.” Rory provided.

“Never did trust the FF8.” The Doctor muttered.

“What are they?” Castiel asked. He was pale but steadily gaining his strength.

“I don’t know. Much like any secret society they are cloaked in, well, secrecy. I haven’t had any trouble with them until they came for you and took Dean.”

“That sorry son of a bitch. When will you Winchesters learn to stop throwing yourselves in front of a moving train for each other?” Gabriel asked, looking at both Cas and Sam. They stared back at him, silent. “Never mind.” He sighed.

“I’ll give you five more minutes and then we are going to go case the planet. We need schematics, numbers, ranks, who they are, what they do and if they have any weaponry. We’ll draw up a plan, go in there, get Dean, kick some ass and then I want to go to Vegas.” Gabriel said. He finished off the candy bar and snapped a pie into existence. Everyone stared at him.

“What?” He said.

“It’s easy to forget you were a general.” Castiel said. “Please, go on.”

Gabriel dug into his pie and Cas was reminded of Dean. He looked down at his shoes. “That’s my plan so far.” He set the pie down on the console and Rory picked it up. “Hey, listen. You think a prison can keep us out? We brought him up from hell. We snatched him out of Lucifer’s hands. This is going to be cake.”

“We had the army of heaven at our backs. Now it’s just,” Cas looked around the room, “Us.”

“I’m trying very hard to not be insulted.” Sherlock said.

“We had the army of heaven at our backs but all of hell was waiting for us. And look what we have. Two geniuses-“

“Three.” River corrected.

“Three geniuses,” Gabriel said, gesturing to Sherlock, the Doctor and now River. “One who has a time space ship, that guy over there was a fucking Roman Centurion, do you remember how bad ass they are?” Looking at Rory who was eating Gabriel’s pie. “This chick over here tore time and space apart for him,” Pointing out Amy. She winked at Gabriel who smiled broadly back. “Sam literally denied the devil the one thing he wanted and made it out of hell,” He reminded Castiel with a small note of pride. “That dude over there was in Afghanistan and from my personal notes, do not fuck with him and an archangel and I don’t even know what the time space ship-“

“TARDIS.” The Doctor provided.

“And I don’t know what the TARDIS is doing to you anymore so I can’t even _classify_ you anymore, Cas.” Gabriel crouched in front of Castiel and looked him in the eye. “Yeah, we may be a little ragtag, but I know at least three of us will die before leaving Dean there.” He turned to the rest of the group. “So, if you don’t mind, Cassie here and I have some recon to do.” Gabriel stood and with one last arrogant smile, snapped both he and Castiel out of existence.

“Oh, I like him.” Amy said.

“ _You_ would.” The Doctor muttered.

“How long will they be? What should we do? Are there preparations to be made?” John asked. Any replies were stifled by the soft sound of wings reappearing.

“I don’t like it.” Gabriel said.

“Nobody likes it.” Castiel replied.

“How did they-“ Gabe started

“It makes no sense-“ Castiel interrupted.

They paused and John opened his mouth to speak before they were off again.

“Could we-“ Castiel asked.

“No, it wouldn’t-“ Gabe shook his head.

“Can Sherlock-“

“Too human.”

“River is part TARDIS-“

“Not TARDIS enough to-“

“The Doctor-“

“Too risky.”

“Well, you can’t-“

“I have to-“

“I need you here-“

“You’re the general-“

“Stop!” Sam said. “What the hell are you two talking about?”

“The whole thing is locked in such a way that we can’t even get in. And that’s kind of saying something. So what we think-“

“What _Gabriel_ thinks.” Cas muttered.

“Is that one of us should throw ourselves at their mercy and start an inside out job. I vote me.” Gabriel said.

“Are we actually voting on this?” Rory asked. Gabriel snatched what was left of the pie from his hands.

“I should think not. If he wants to volunteer, I don’t see a reason why not.” Sherlock said.

“I do.” Sam said.

“I see plenty of reasons.” Castiel agreed.

“Off you go, then. Let’s hear it.” The Doctor said diplomatically.

“He’s the strongest of us. He is battle ready.” Sam pointed out.

“As is Castiel.” Sherlock said. “Why don’t we throw him in?” Sam couldn’t tell if he was being serious or playing devil’s advocate.

“I’m a spare tire. What do you English say? An heir and a spare?” Gabriel said.

“You are not a spare tire. They need you here Gabriel.” Cas said.

“No, they need you. You are just as stronger as me. That shit you pulled,” Gabe said, gesturing to the wall, “Should have killed a seraphim. Especially calling _me_ up. But you just needed a fifteen minute power nap and you were ready to raid a planet. The TARDIS is charging you up, giving you everything she can muster. These people know you, sort of, and trust you. Kinda. I’ll go in, find Dean and start from the inside while you work your way in. I don’t see anything wrong with this plan.”

“I do, I see dozens of things wrong with it.” Sherlock piped up. “But compared to anything else we have, it’s our best option. I vote we throw the archangel in.”

“Me too.” Amy said.

“As do I.” River agreed.

“Wow, Doc, the women of your life sure don’t mess around.” Gabriel said, looking a little startled. “Nonetheless, they are on the side of genius.”

“No.” Sam said.

“I will not throw you in.” Castiel muttered.

“I can’t.” Rory said.

“Me either.” John said.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter what you think!” Gabriel shouted and snapped. He looked confused as he stayed exactly where he was. He tried it again before whirling on Castiel. “Did you _tether_ me?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Castiel said in a flat tone that gave everything away. “Doctor, you are the deciding vote. What are your thoughts?”

The Doctor sighed and pulled out his sonic. He scanned Cas again and then turned to Gabriel. He scanned him. He sat down heavily on the steps and looked at the both of them.

“I have researched Stormcage. The few stories that come out of there do not bode well for anyone that goes in. Anyone. Dean, Gabriel. Whoever. We need to act quickly.” He bowed his head and looked at Gabriel. Gabriel stared back, unimpressed by the Doctor and his steady gaze. “I’m sorry, Castiel. I’m so, so sorry. It’s too much to ask of anyone. First Dean and now your brother.”

There was silence and John glared at the Doctor. “I can’t believe this. _You_ of all people. The great humanist. Ready to throw someone right at them, aren’t you? Why? Because Gabriel isn’t human? Because Dean disappeared on your watch? Then it’s you who should go, Doctor!”

“As much I as I appreciate your passion on this subject, Watson, we are right. I go back I am more valuable. They were attracted to Castiel because of his energy. The energy that we possess can run their engines for an indefinite amount of time. The Doctor isn’t as valuable as we are.”  Gabriel explained

John looked at Sherlock and then River. They both remained silent on the issue.

“Fine! Go.”

“Brother-“ Castiel said.

“Aw, don’t. I’ll be fine. And even if I’m not, you’ll gather me up and put me back together again.” Gabriel said dismissively.

“Gabe-“ Sam started. “Gabe, I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry I didn’t rescue them.”

“Kid, when I said we would have words, I meant it. I’m going to go do this, come back and kick your ass. I will.” Gabriel reached up and patted his cheek affectionately. “I promise. Right here in front of everyone. I’ll come back. And kick your ass.”

And with a snap of his fingers, Gabriel was gone once again.

Just like that, everyone had something to do anywhere else that wasn’t around Sam and Castiel. Only the Doctor remained. He regarded them both for a long time.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered.

Castiel said nothing. He left the control room.

Sam stared at the doors.

 

~~~~

The gray lines that they had implanted into Dean’s backs were electrodes. Or, that’s what it seemed like anyway. They were turned on and off by remote that was controlled by the seven eyed alien.

Dean had already bitten his tongue and choked on his own blood.

“You know,” He said from his spot on the floor. “I bet you and the squid looking dick head get it on every night. Better be careful. One of you needs to wrap it up. Your kids would be exceptionally ugly.” She tipped her head back condescendingly and shocked him again. He screamed.

When she was done, his nose was bleeding. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.

“Maybe you two already have kids. Fuck.”  He muttered. “Hey, at least it wasn’t the guy who smelled like a three day old dumpster that a homeless person pissed on. Those would be terrible genetics-“

This time, she shocked him for so long, he lost consciousness.

 

_“Is he still up there?” Dean asked. They lay on the hood of the Impala staring up at an impossible number of stars. Cas was neatly tucked in between his legs, a blanket thrown over both of them._

_“There is no up there, Dean. Heaven exists on a different plane.” Cas paused. “But is he around? I would like to think so. Despite everything, I think there is a reason for his actions. Or inactions.”_

_It was a good enough answer for Dean. Maybe the Big Guy wanted his children to learn to live without his constant supervision; maybe he wanted a vacation and measured time differently that we did on Earth. The theories made Dean’s head pulse behind his eyes. He tried to stay away from the subject._

_There were better things to think of, anyway. Like how Castiel’s hair smelled like his cheap apple shampoo now. Or how good he looked in the morning when he got out of the shower and walked around in low slung jeans. Or the feel of the angel banishing sigil beneath Dean’s lips. These were all much better topics of contemplation._

_“What do you think he thinks of us?” Dean asked, curling a hand near Castiel’s collarbone._

_“Are you searching for my Father’s approval?”_

_“No. Maybe. A little bit.” Dean fumbled._

_“He loves you, Dean. Just like any of his children. And I think he looks down on us and smiles.” He traced Dean’s knee through his jeans. “I don’t know him any better than you do. But what I would like to think is that every single one of us is here for a reason. I think I was here to love you.”_

_Dean had nothing to say to that but to curl his hand over Castiel’s heart. The place where he belonged; the place he could always come back to._

         


	5. Burn The Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel gives up, Castiel storms a prison, the Doctor does a jig and Rory is displeased at Dean's shirtlessness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this one took me awhile. I wanted to give you guys an ending I thought you deserved and I wanted it to be fun. I kept it light, fun and entertaining. Any and all mistakes are mine and comments, as always, are welcome. Thanks!

Gabriel arrived with as much fanfare as he could muster without trumpets. He split the roof of a building, lightening cracked the sky, their sun rose and fell with no reason and flattened everything for a two mile radius.

Archangels go big or go home.

Aliens of various descriptions arrived, surrounding him. Squids, rhinos, bird things and robots were common.

“Ok, now I know what you are thinking.” Gabriel said turning around to look at everyone. “But, I’m pretty sure I’m lost. I was supposed to smite Cleveland right off the map but… I think I got lost somewhere. Anyone?”

The large rhino one walked up. “You are a celestial being of light.”

“Nothing gets past this one.” Gabriel mocked. “Gabriel. Archangel. I’m supposed to be on earth.”

The rhino one scooped Gabriel up and threw him over his shoulder. Gabriel did not fight but instead winked at the squid alien. “Is this how you treat everyone or am I just that special?”

The rhino one walked down stairs, down and down and down. They passed glassed in rooms that held things so inexplicable that Gabriel’s endless mind balked. But he studied each one carefully. On the seventeenth floor down, he finally saw Dean.

Gabriel was glad that it was him here and not Castiel. Dean had dried blood caking his back in thick rivers. He had been cut open and sewn closed with thick black string and he was curled up in the middle of a blank empty floor. He wore only white boxers.

Their eyes met for only a brief second. It was enough. Instead of the startling green that had been his trademark, Dean’s eyes had gone a pale milky purple. Gabriel wondered if he could see before he saw that smirk and he barely raised two fingers to him. Gabe was grim for once. He nodded and Dean dropped his head back down to the floor.

Now, Gabriel had not been involved in rescuing Dean from hell as Castiel had implied. If he recalled correctly, he was somewhere in Spain with a beautiful girl named Diana doing things that were illegal in most countries. But if this is what Cas had encountered, this brave man, being reduced to nothing but a gray and lifeless shell, then Gabriel would go down praying to their dad that he was glad he was here and Cas didn’t have to see this again. It hurt where Gabriel theoretically had a heart.

They descended one more floor before they shoved Gabe into a room similar to Dean’s. It was featureless but for the glass doors. Gabe ran his hands over the smooth white walls. There wasn’t even a seam where the wall and the floor met. He sighed and sat in the middle of the room. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his wings. They weren’t pinned here unlike in the TARDIS. He prayed out to Cas, telling him everything, leaving out the what Dean looked like. Just that he was unwell.

Then he settled in to wait for the Bat signal.

 _Hey Dad. I know it’s been a long time since we last talked. Frankly, I was kind of hoping that I would see you after Lucy forced me to cross the road but you weren’t there either. I’m not even sure you are listening right now._ Gabriel smiled. _In fact, I’m pretty sure you aren’t. So why even try? I don’t know, Dad. Just always figured that if you were there maybe we would get help. It’s Dean, you know. Your Righteous Man. I don’t know what the hell you were doing way out here or if this is even you. But they messed him up. He needs help. And that little group I left, they need more help than I can give. Please, Dad._

~~~~

“We are as close as I can get us without landing.” The Doctor reported. Cas nodded. He knotted the black tie at his throat and pulled on the black trench coat that had been laid out on his bed when he had returned. Sam pulled on a black leather jacket and glanced over at him. They were grim.

Sam holstered Dean’s pearl handled gun underneath his right arm and his own underneath his left. There were three knives hidden in his left boot and two more in his right. John was similarly armed. Amy and Rory held guns too large for their slight frames but handled them well. River had a small silver gun similar to Gemma’s from the Scrolls. Cas snapped and handed a shotgun to Sherlock. He frowned at it and then traded John for a smaller handgun wordlessly. The Doctor tucked his sonic screwdriver neatly into his jacket pocket.

“John you will take point and get Sherlock to their control room with River and Amy. Doctor, you and Rory are to search for Gabriel. From what I can gather he is eighteen stories down. If those vortex manipulators are still working, I suggest those. Otherwise, run. Sam and I will find Dean.”

“How will we communicate?” Amy asked.

One more snap of his fingers and Cas had everyone fitted with small microphones and headsets.

“Can we bring him along more often?” River asked.

“I think if we lose Dean again, we would all get smote.” Amy remarked.

“You just like saying that word.” The Doctor said.

“Not every day you get to play with a couple of celestial being of partial differential equations and light.” She said.

“Let’s go.” Cas said to Rory and the Doctor. He nodded to Sam. “Wait here for me.” He snapped the three of them out of sight and was back seconds later. “River, Amy, Sherlock, John. Let’s go.” And they too were gone. Sam was left alone with the TARDIS. He looked at the control console.

“If you could give us any extra help, I would appreciate it. So would Cas.” Sam murmured. But there was no reply.

Cas appeared next to Sam just then. “Are you ready, Sam?”

“As I can be.” Sam said. Then there was this disconcerting feeling of spatial properties getting all fucked up and then they were outside a white room with glass doors. Inside the room was what looked like an overly large neon green and pink snake.

“Is he, uh, good?” Sam asked.

“Oh, yes.” Castiel breathed, his eyes wide. Using the butt of his gun, Sam tried to crack the glass doors. They would not give.

“Try the pad there.” Cas pointed out. It cracked easily under Sam’s gun. The doors slid open and the snake slid out. Sam watched amused as it wrapped around one of Castiel’s legs and then slid away, presumably to an exit.

“What floor are we on?”

“As close to Dean as I could get us. The farther away I got us from the TARDIS, the harder it was to control my direction.” They walked the length of the hallway, occasionally smashing open a room and bypassing others when Cas would shake his head no. At the end of the hall, they found a door that Castiel had to smash open. Inside the door was a large number 15 painted.

“Isn’t it convenient that they use numbers here that we can understand?” Sam asked suspiciously.

“It’s the TARDIS .” Came a cheery voice over their headsets. “She translates any language to your language and your language to the native language. Brilliant, isn’t she?”

“Absolutely, Doctor. Where are you?” Sam asked, pressing the device in his ear.

“Oh, about floor seventeen, I suspect.”

“We are on seventeen. Get down here as soon as you can. Dean needs help.” Rory said tightly. There was a grim aspect to his voice that neither Sam nor Cas liked. “But he is right here. Hurry.”

“We have the control room.” John’s voice came down. “Sherlock is working on the controls and – Oh! River, right behind – never mind, Amy’s got it.” There were more shouts and shots being fired.

“Hurry, Sam. They can open the doors from the control. Once the Doctor and Rory have Gabriel, he can provide judgment.” Cas said, grabbing Sam’s arm hard enough to bruise. They ran down the rest of the stairs, not pausing at level sixteen. They raced down the stairs and Cas threw the door for level seventeen off its hinges. They passed three rooms before finding him.

His white room was streaked here and there with blood. Dean was leaning against the wall in the far corner of the room, his eyes closed, looking thinner and much more haggard. Even as Sam began to smash open the keypad, a small smile stole over Dean’s face.

“There’s my avenging angel. And my really pissed off baby brother. I wish I could say I’m glad to see you,” Dean said and opened his eyes. “But I can’t really see anymore.”

Sam bit back his gasp at seeing his brother’s eyes. Pale purple and milky, they had lost that arrogance that had been so _Dean_. They had brought him low and in such a short time that Sam was startled.

“They explained to me that this planet was always moving and even the Doctor, with all his friends and magic blue box, wouldn’t be able to find me. So I guess I kind of gave up. And they mess with time in here, did you know that? It can feel like hours pass in a second or seconds don’t pass for days. It’s kind of like hell like that.” He mumbled, closing his eyes again.

“Dean-“ Sam tried. But he was at a loss. Words escaped him.

“They almost had me convinced that you wouldn’t come for me. But it was that or die. You know?”

“You aren’t going to die.” Cas growled, walking over to him and pulling him up. At Castiel’s movements though, Dean screamed. He screamed and he screamed and even as Cas pulled away, he writhed and screamed some more. Sam and Cas took a step back and watched as Dean’s back bowed on the floor and he screamed until he choked.

“Cas, what’s going on?” Sam gasped.

“I don’t know. Something else is in there with him.” Cas took another step forward but halted when Dean started to weep. Watching him wrenched something inside of Cas. There was no barrier between them but they could not touch him. If either one of them moved, he would scream and cry out, beg for them to help him but it was their very presence hurt him.

“Sherlock-“ Sam started.

“Working on it.” They heard. “There is a signal going _into_ Dean. I cannot block it from here. Are there switches or controls, something that looks like a keypad, anything in there?”

“The only keypad in here, Sam destroyed. It opened the door. That is all.”

“What about on Dean? Anything?”

“No, nothing.” Sam said, straining to see him.

“There’s wires.” Dean managed to grind out.

“Where?” Sherlock demanded.

“In my back. They are sewn in my back.” And he managed to twist so that they could see. Castiel had rarely known anger like this. His back had been cut open in thick jagged lines and sewn back together crudely with black thread. Dark brown blood caked the wounds and he could see that there had been no aftercare.

“You must get him out of there. Bring him to the Doctor, or maybe John.” Sherlock said. They could hear the tapping of keys and Sherlock was muttering something that they couldn’t quite catch.

“Sherlock, we have to leave. Soon. They are beating in the doors.” River said.

Sherlock’s eyes scanned the screen in front of him and he swiped things to the left and right. He pulled things down to his eye level and the beating of the doors merely annoyed him. The TARDIS translation matrix was working splendidly and now Sherlock could see what they were getting at.

“The perfect soldier.” He muttered. And with one broad sweep of his arm, Sherlock erased their records, their data and all their research. “They were sewing bits of one species to another. There was something about Dean that particularly intrigued them. Something about his emotional makeup-“

“We’ve got Gabriel!” Rory shouted, hurting everyone’s ears. “We’re leav- gone. We are actually in the TARDIS now.” Rory said. “And now Gabriel is gone-“

“He’s here.” Castiel said.

“We can knock him out.” Gabriel said of Dean. “And fly him back to the Doctor on the TARDIS.”

“Yes.” Castiel said. He approached Dean who began to scream again, tears tracing his cheeks. Castiel steeled himself against Dean’s screams and reached out for his forehead. The minute he did, he was under and the cries stopped. Cas knelt and looped Dean’s arm around his own neck and supported his waist with the other hand.

“Let’s go.” Castiel said, ceasing to exist in that place and came to be above ground. He glanced around. The TARDIS was pretty far away; he hadn’t gotten his location exact. Unfortunately for them, Gabriel and Sam appeared next to the TARDIS, along with everyone else as Gabriel blinked out of existence. They were separated by a mile or so of flat concrete.

Cas raised his hand once more to Dean’s forehead, locking down the exact location of the TARDIS. Just a second before he did, Dean was ripped from his hands and tossed aside by an alien who looked like a disconcerting mix of rhino, giraffe and a crab.

“Our specimens are not for taking.” It hissed at Castiel.

From near the TARDIS, Sam made to run to them. Gabriel placed a firm hand on his arm. “You do not want to go over there. Believe me. Cas is hopped up on all kinds of TARDIS steroids and frankly, it’s not going to be pretty.”

“But, Dean!” Sam sputtered.

“His angel has it.” Gabriel said, watching with interest as Castiel stalked the rhino/giraffe/crab. The thing stayed between Cas and Dean and Gabriel wanted to offer it the advice that that was the worst place in the galaxy to be. Instead, he took a spot in between Rory and Amy and snapped some caramel popcorn into his hands. He offered a bit to Rory who looked disgusted and Amy who snatched a handful.

The thing that kept Dean away from him was easily three times Castiel’s vessel’s height. It outweighed him by several hundred pounds. But Cas could feel the TARDIS blinking away, only a mile away. The sky was a haunting black and the concrete area that they stood on was light with harsh halogen lights.

“I will give you this one chance to take the rest of your crew and leave.” It said softly, staring at Castiel. “But no more. If you insist on taking this one, you will doom the rest of your crew. Leave.”

“I insist.” Castiel said softly. He felt, rather than saw, a small army gathering at his back. They were armed and trained to kill even if it was a celestial being of light that they had been trying to get their hands on.

“Should we-?” John asked, concerned at the growing number of aliens at Castiel’s back.

“Oh, definitely not now.” Gabriel said. “Let him have his fun.”

“I don’t think that the destruction of this facility could be categorized as ‘fun’, Gabriel.” The Doctor said flatly.

“They sewed electrodes into Dean’s spine and tried to burn the memory of love from him. Love from his family and especially love from Cas. Just so they could create the perfect soldier to storm the galaxy. Fun doesn’t even begin to cover it.” Sherlock said gravely. Gabriel offered him popcorn. After a moment’s hesitation, he took a handful.

“Have any crisps?” John asked.

Gabriel snapped his fingers. John had his favorite crisps in his hands seconds later.

The rhino/giraffe/crab swept his arm to the TARDIS and Castiel’s companions. “We will keep them and experiment with them. How does that sound?” And if a squid could smirk, Cas could swear that this one was doing so right then. It was so self-assured of its victory.  

“You will keep nothing. You will have nothing.” Castiel murmured. He raised his fingers and snapped and all of sudden the rhino/giraffe/crab was no more. All that was left was a miscellaneous pile of pale green goo. Cas stepped towards Dean, who was still slumped on the ground.

“All your specimens are repaired and on their way home.” Castiel shouted, his voice booming across the wide concrete plain. “Leave now and you will go back to wherever you came from, unharmed. If you try to keep us or harm us in anyway, you will regret it.”

There was silence from the gathering of aliens that were now directly in front of Cas.

“I got ten they attack.” Gabriel says, sharing the popcorn with Amy and River now.

“I’ll take that bet.” Sherlock says.

“Me too.” Said River.

The aliens shifted as one and began shooting without warning. Gabriel could see his little brother sigh from his position but even he did not expect Castiel’s latest trick.

Castiel could feel something a little different. Maybe it was the anger that did the trick; he wasn’t sure. But he could feel the edges of his grace tightening and he caught a glimpse of the TARDIS brightening. Cas looked down at Dean, still unconscious, the wounds on his back weeping new blood. Then he spread his arms wide and, with a soundless shock wave, laid the aliens that were armed with intent to harm or kill, low. He killed all of the ones that were directly or indirectly involved with the torture or maiming of all the beings that had been kidnapped on this planet.

But what those by the TARDIS saw was completely different. From the lawn chairs that Gabriel had so politely provided to all, they saw the aliens close in on Castiel and all but Gabe had stood in panic. As the circle of aliens closed tighter and tighter, there was a silent concussion blast and all but a few aliens were gone in various puddles of goo. It was so easy to ignore the goo that splattered everything and everyone because of Castiel. His wings were on full display and Gabe let out a low wolf whistle. His wings towered twenty feet over his vessel, bleeding gold into a rich orange into a violent red and a royal purple, the purple weeping into the blue of Castiel’s eyes and finally into a pulsing black.  

Seconds later Cas appeared with Dean in his arms next to the Doctor. He tried to frown at Cas but ended up doing a small jig and hugging the angel instead.

“We should probably go.” Cas said. He was ushered into the TARDIS ahead of everyone else but turned at the last second. Amy was now holding the box of caramel popcorn and Rory had his hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate. Sherlock had tea and John was still munching on crisps. River had an especially large ice cream sundae and the Doctor had fish fingers and custard. Sam had a surprisingly large salad in an elegant bowl. Gabriel had a smaller bowl filled with delicious looking chocolates that he was polishing off.

“Gabriel, did you provide snacks to everyone while I was rescuing Dean and fighting an army of aliens?” Cas asked, his oddly flat tone giving way his peevishness.

“And chairs!” Amy said helpfully.

The TARDIS barely had time to open its doors before Castiel stormed in.

 

~~~~

Castiel laid Dean on the bed, stomach down.

“These were very crudely done.” John muttered, staring at the stitches. His hand trembled for a moment but then he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Sherlock. “He will scar.”

“As long as they are out of him, he doesn’t care.” Sam said. “Besides, what’s one more scar?”

“I can take care of this a lot faster.” Gabriel said from the doorway. “He’ll still scar but it won’t be a major surgery. No offense, Doc.” He said nodding at Watson.

“None taken. If there is a quicker and more humane way to do it, then that is my suggestion.” John said, grateful for not having to pick up a scalpel.

“Step back Cas. It’s going to be a band aid surgery. I’m going to rip it out, quick.” And before Cas could even put together all the reasons there was so much wrong with that one statement, it was done. The bloody wires hung from Gabriel’s hands like tentacles and he got rid of them with a look of disgust.

With a startled jerk, Dean sat up and pushed himself off the bed. He turned and to Castiel’s great relief, his eyes were the familiar green. He threw himself at Castiel and if Cas had been an ordinary man, he would have toppled over underneath Dean’s weight.

“Are you here? Really, here?” Dean asked, kissing him between words and holding him tighter than necessary. All Cas could do was nod. Dean gave him one more squeeze and a kiss that left them both bleeding a little bit before he attacked Sam in the same vicious circle of affection. With a lot less kissing though.

“Sam. Sammy. They kept- they made me think you were there and then gone.” Dean muttered. Sam couldn’t reply for the way that Dean was squeezing him. He gasped in acknowledgement though. Dean whirled around to find Gabe who opened his arms in a mock gesture of ‘Come here, big boy’ that Dean took advantage of too readily, for Cas’ taste.

“I don’t know how the hell you’re here, but hey. Long time, no see.” Dean said, holding on to the smaller man. Dean faced John and Sherlock who were now staring at the whole thing with amusement and confusion, respectively.

“I have no idea who you two are so I won’t hug you.” Dean said and winked at John. Castiel rolled his eyes in the manner of a long suffering significant other and Sherlock glowered. Dean left the small room to find the Doctor hurrying back to them.

“Dean!” He yelled.

“Doc!” Dean yelled back.

They hugged and yelled other things at each other and were positively delighted to see each other. Castiel had managed to wrestle some soft gray pants on him while he was still unconscious so he wasn’t entirely naked but Rory was still displeased at how long Amy hugged a shirtless Dean.

“Oh, man. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be back.” Dean said, as they gathered around the console. Castiel was seated on the steps and Dean pushed his way in between his legs, still shirtless and needing the physical contact with Cas. Cas was only too happy to oblige, dropping his nose into Dean’s hair.

Dean glanced around at everyone that was gathered. The Doctor and River leaned against the TARDIS controls, John and Sherlock at the opposite set of stairs. Sam and Gabe were next to Dean and Cas and Rory and Amy had reclaimed the hammock.

“So, Doc.” Dean said. The Doctor turned to him.

“Where to next?” 


End file.
